I saw a sweatshirt the other day that read “I don’t meet the minimum height requirement to ride your emotional roller-coaster” and it made me chuckle. How many of you have been on an emotional roller-coaster since COVID-19 began, or at least since we were mandated to stay home? I know I have. My emotional extremes have ranged from tears of anger over friends and clients dealing with/dying from this insidious virus, to frustration over lost business, to sadness over planned events that have to be missed, to unadulterated joy at having so much time to spend with my puppies and laughing at their ..read more

Benjamin Franklin once said, “if you want something done, ask a busy person.” There’s truth to that statement. Often, the busier we are, the better we manage our time. Generally, busy people get more done in a day because they have a set, often jam-packed schedule, which doesn’t permit them the luxury of wasting time, and they fit tasks in between scheduled appointments. When something like COVID-19 happens, and our typical daily routine goes out the window, it can be harder to be productive because our day is suddenly less structured. Some friends recently commented that they were starting th ..read more

Last month I wrote about being prepared in the event of a major illness or death. Unfortunately, preparedness seems to be the topic of the quarter… With the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, this month let’s talk about how to gear up if you choose to self-quarantine, decide to work from home/are told you must work from home, or actually have to be quarantined due to illness. First, be sure to stock up on basic supplies. Yes, I know that’s becoming more challenging as grocery stores and online merchants like Amazon are experiencing depleted supplies of soap, toilet paper, and disinfec ..read more

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon In the first 12 days of January, 8 people I knew died. And no, they were not all old or sick. In the subsequent four weeks, there have been several more deaths and two horrible medical diagnoses. I am not sharing this with you to elicit sympathy, or to depress you. Rather, I want to encourage you to “get your ducks in a row” because, as I often tell my clients, “you never know when you’re going to step off a curb and get hit by a bus.” As John Lennon alluded, unexpected things happen; when we’re not prepared for ..read more

The holiday season is upon us. This can be a stressful, expensive, and clutter-filled time of the year. Consequently last year, and the year before, and the year before that, I wrote blog posts offering some alternatives to physical gifts. Give an intangible gift this year! Several you reached out to me to offer some additional suggestions to the list, and I promised to include them this year. So here are some more thing-free gift ideas. • Certificate for a session with a professional photographer to take family portraits. • Arrange a session for a home inventory to be done, so the recipient ..read more

How often do you believe you check your smart phone? While you might be tempted to think, “not that often”…. according to a recent study, the typical American checks their phone an average of every 12 minutes, or roughly 80 times a day. Does that surprise you? And how long do you feel you can go without sneaking a peek at your phone? Four hours was reported to be the maximum passage of time people could endure before needing to check their phone. Further, the study reported that one out of three people experience anxiety when physically separated from their phone. How Does It Affect Our Brains ..read more

If you’re a follower of mine or In Order on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll know that I’m celebrating 25 years in business, and I’m reveling in a very unique way. I’m revealing some of the more unique (and fun) “finds” that I’ve uncovered for clients while organizing their belongings. Before I pull back the curtain on some of my finds, it’s important that you understand a few things. SuperOrganizer Saves the Day! First, I LOVE my clients. No matter what their space looks like, or what the situation, I walk in from a place of caring and respect. Second, there is no room for judgement here – my ..read more

I live with my boyfriend in a home that is approximately 200 square-feet. Between his bulky music equipment, my endless arts & crafts tools, two wardrobes and only one closet, I’m constantly looking for better ways to arrange our living space so it’s more streamlined, so our things are more easily accessible, and most importantly, so it can stay organized. But whether or not you’re trying to avoid stepping on a roommate’s toes or your own, being organized in a small space is a delicate procedure. It demands some ingenuity and resourcefulness. And, like all organization projects, it require ..read more

This is a 2-part blog post written by In Order team member, Hannah. Part 1 – Getting a Handle on All the Details! Congratulations – your child is ready to begin the college experience. Now that he or she has been accepted, there are important items to take care of and pay attention to. Because of the critical nature of these details, we’ll cover it in two parts. Part 1 is about getting a handle on all the specifics and breaks down the paperwork, scheduling technology and legal issues you’ll need to plan for and understand. As emotional and exciting as it is to send a child off to college, it ..read more

Surprise, it’s pop quiz time! Choose one answer. Change is: a) stressful b) exciting c) overwhelming d) an opportunity for growth e) all of the above The good news is that there’s no one “right” answer; it depends on you, how you feel during any particular life transition, and how you view the world. For some, change can seem stressful and overwhelming, while others perceive it as an exciting opportunity for growth. Regardless of the answer you chose above, it’s a given that divorce results in a variety of changes. As a Certified Professional Organizer®, I often help my clients navigate life ..read more