* Loading the dishwasher can be a household task fraught with contention, as differing opinions clash over the most efficient and organized method. Admittedly, there is no single “right” approach. Nevertheless, there are some basic principles that I believe make the process simple and effective. I don’t write this post lightly, as I know I might get some strong reactions. However, for those who might be looking for some tips, or who might benefit from having a neutral/third party perspective, I thought I’d share one professional organizer’s tips for how to load the dishwasher. In this short li ..read more

* Is your life chaotic? If so, you are normal. Most people have a lot going on, needing to be many places and accomplish many tasks. The good news is, there are more tools today than ever to help you record, plan, schedule, and manage the chaos. The bad news is it can be hard to figure out which options are the best for you. I always say, the best tool is the one you trust and use. Today I’m going “old school” to talk about how to use a bullet journal to improve your life. Before I discuss the specifics of a bullet journal, let me begin by saying that everyone needs three key tools to complete ..read more

Image by Raphael Silva from Pixabay Like it or not, most of us spend time performing repetitive tasks. Whether they are things we do every day or only once a year, these responsibilities can feel boring and mundane. While these may not be the most fun items on our to-do lists, they are nonetheless important. In fact, there is a famous quote by Will Durant that says, “We are what we repeatedly do.” At the same time, doing the same thing over and over can get boring and feel inefficient. Furthermore, for tasks that we perform periodically, we can find ourselves needing to reinvent a vaguely fami ..read more

* Arranging furniture feels like it should be easy, but often it is not. When the furniture is poorly laid out, in overabundance, or insufficient, your space is likely to feel somehow “wrong.” If you are struggling with this challenge, fear not. Today I’m sharing tips for how to arrange furniture to create a harmonious and functional space. [Disclaimer: I am not a decorator. My focus as an organizer is on flow and function within the space.] Let me begin by saying that there are lots of reasons why you may be struggling to place your furniture in a comfortable layout. For example: Your home h ..read more

Image by toodlingstudio from Pixabay Where I live, there has been a lot of rain recently. Water flooding my basement during heavy storms is an ongoing possibility, so when intense rain is predicted, I am always on high alert. A couple of weeks ago, we had a large storm move through, projected to drop around 3 inches of rain. With such a high anticipated rainfall, I expected flooding, and kept dashing down to check the basement. I’m happy to say that, in spite of the large amount of rain, we didn’t flood. Why not? I think we were spared because this storm came through in intervals: very intense ..read more

This week I’m wrapping up my series on habits. So far we’ve covered daily habits, weekly habits, monthly habits, and seasonal habits. Today we finish out with some simple annual habits to get and stay organized. These may take a bit more time, but they are game changers when it comes to feeling in control of our time, space, and belongings. Annual Habit #1 – Declutter Personal Products *Annual Habit #2 – Clear Out Your Files *Annual Habit #3 – Plan Out Big Events on Your Calendar *Annual Habit #4 – Sweep Out Storage Areas *Annual Habit #5 – Dispose of Hazardous Household Waste *Annual H ..read more

* Do you have habits? In the past few weeks, I’ve been running a series about habits to put in place on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to make life easier. This week I’m sharing simple seasonal habits to get and stay organized. I live in New England, so the seasonal shifts are noticeable, providing helpful reminders for periodic tasks. However, if you happen to live in a location where the weather doesn’t change, think of these as quarterly habits. The benefit of developing these habits is that they add routine and predictability to the care of spaces and belongings. When you are just get ..read more

I’m a huge fan of habits. When we form a habit, we lighten the pressure of having to repeatedly consider, choose, and decide both how and when to act. The past couple of weeks I’ve been discussing habits, talking about helpful behaviors to do daily and weekly. This week, I’m shifting my focus to simple monthly habits to get and stay organized. Since it is easy to lose track of monthly habits, I suggest you set aside a specific day to do them each month, such as the first/last day of the month, the second Saturday each month, etc. Whenever you are trying to build a new habit, take advantage o ..read more

Habits are really the “secret sauce” to making lasting change in your life. Last week I began my new series of posts on organizing habits with ideas for things to do on a daily basis. This week, I’m continuing the series by sharing some simple weekly habits to get and stay organized. The day of the week doesn’t matter. The key is to be faithful in following through with these habits on a weekly basis. I think it works best to do each task on a predetermined day of the week (e.g., every Monday, every Friday afternoon, etc.). So here we go, four weekly habits to change your life! Weekly Organi ..read more

* Have you seen a show or video about someone getting organized? Such videos are often dramatic and exciting. I love a good “before” and “after” as much as the next person. At the same time, while a major overhaul is invigorating and fun, the true secret to living an organized life is more about habits than it is about grand gestures. What we do regularly, and especially daily, eventually defines our lives. To help you experience the freedom that comes through organization, I’m beginning a series of posts on organizing habits. I’ll begin this week with simple daily habits to get and stay organ ..read more