The Organizing Odd Couple

By |2013-09-18T14:27:49-04:00September 16th, 2013|Categories: Home Page, Systems|Tags: , |

The opposite of out of sight, out of mind is in sight and in mind, but that’s often seen as a bad thing for organizing. If all your floors and surfaces are covered in clutter, it’s overwhelming and stressful, but the exact opposite is not a good thing either. Good organizing is about striking the right balance between what is hidden and what is seen.

Why the Only-Touch-a-Piece-of-Paper-Once Rule Isn’t Working For You

By |2013-09-09T17:25:22-04:00September 9th, 2013|Categories: Home Page, Paper Management|Tags: , |

Are you familiar with the only touch/handle a piece of paper once rule? Many professional organizers and time management experts recommend it. I don't. Their thinking is that, you don’t get anywhere by shuffling papers from one pile to another. True enough. Their answer is to make a decision on one piece of paper at a time before moving on to the next piece. You may decide to read, act, file, delegate, or toss, but you MUST decide!

Product Review: See Jane Work

By |2013-09-04T19:24:16-04:00September 4th, 2013|Categories: Home Page, Product Review, Product Reviews|Tags: , , , , |

This is the first time I have ever reviewed a line of product, but the good folks at See Jane Work have sent along several samples. Jane is actually Holly Bonn-Weiss, a successful entrepreneur who believes there is no reason organizing products can’t be stylish. I agree. I have combined them in the photos, but I shall review them one at a time.

How To Take Charge of Awkward Garage Storage

By |2013-09-02T16:49:02-04:00September 2nd, 2013|Categories: Clutter Control, Home Page, Systems|Tags: , , |

It’s pretty easy to run out and buy some shelves and bins for storage in the garage, but so many of the items in the garage are what I would classify as “awkwards.” Your beautifully shelved bins can be sabotaged by items like fishing poles, bicycles, and garden tools. To take charge of your garage storage, accommodate these awkwards before you shelve the items that play nicely with others. Here’s how.

Product Review: 3M 1.5 X 2 Post-Its

By |2013-08-29T07:19:43-04:00August 29th, 2013|Categories: Home Page, Paper Management, Product Reviews|Tags: , , , |

I know what you’re thinking. “Really? Those nasty little notes that litter my husband’s computer monitor and desk?” No worries. I don’t like that look either and I don’t like what it represents: inaction. What I do like, no, LOVE about the mini Post-Its is when they are used well. They are used best when they facilitate flexibility.

Product Review: Cablox™ Cable Management

By |2013-08-13T17:46:28-04:00August 15th, 2013|Categories: Home Page, Product Reviews|Tags: , , |

The Cablox Cable Organizer definitely taps into the whole minimalist aesthetic. Their one page website sells it’s experience as the “art of cable management.” It makes a feature of the fact that is designed in Denmark. For some reason, that makes me think of Brut, by Faberge, like that somehow makes it more special. It is, infact, about as easy a cable management system as I have found.

The Secret to the 10 Minute Purge

By |2023-09-04T10:26:34-04:00August 6th, 2013|Categories: Clutter Control, Home Page, Paper Management, Time Management|Tags: , , |

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 Best Answer for the Worst Clutter

By |2023-09-04T10:28:22-04:00July 29th, 2013|Categories: Clutter Control, Home Page|Tags: , |

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.

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