When we think about spring cleaning, our thoughts generally turn to washing windows, and cleaning out the nooks and crannies of our homes that otherwise did not garner our attention throughout the year. And although it has become a decidedly American tradition, its origins are based in various cultural and ethnic practices. It was and continues to be a means to prepare for and welcome holidays and to remove the ‘soot and grime’ left behind by winter’s hibernation.  Spring cleaning and cleaning in general is not the same as organizing of course, as each can be an activity unto itself. The ..read more

Sort It Out Boston is celebrating National Senior and Specialty Move Managers Week! What’s that you say? The National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM) has declared May 12-18, 2024 National Senior & Specialty Move Managers Week. During this recognition week, NASMM and NASMM members around the world are promoting the value of Senior & Specialty Move Management and Move Managers’ commitment to assisting older adults and their families with later lifestyle transitions and individuals who have unique needs.  Senior & Specialty Move Managers assist adults and their f ..read more

I recently met with a young professional couple for a complimentary consultation on home organizing services. Typical to their generational peers, they have busy lives working and raising a family, and the family is actively growing (number 2 is on the way!). They need help to get a better handle on the unmanaged clutter of their day-to-day work-at-home and family lives. While very few categories of belongings are currently supported by an established organizing system, by and large they have no or certainly not enough systems in place to help them manage it all. Upon arrival, they were each q ..read more

Decluttering and downsizing are words that you have probably heard countless times. It has practically become a national pastime to engage in one or both activities these days. Although they are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between the two and each speaks to its own purpose.  Let’s look at what the typical goals are for each. Declutter Goals -          Remove unwanted/not used or useable items. -          Prepare home for sale by creating space and the illusion of space ..read more

Let me first say this post begins with a somewhat shameless plug. Rightsize Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow, by Marni Jameson recently came out, and I am in it. I met Marni a few years back when she contacted me as a professional resource while working on another piece of writing. The subject matter could not have been timelier for me, as my personal and professional lives collided. A piece of that conversation found its way into one of Marni’s articles and now in the pages of her newest book that serves as a guide to help those seeking their ideal home later in life. It used to be tha ..read more

For professional organizers, the entire month of January is practically a national holiday. It’s GO Month! In other words, it is Get Organized Month. GO Month is an initiative of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) that celebrates how NAPO members (like me!) improve the lives of their clients by helping them create environments that support productivity, general health and well-being.  It may also be no coincidence that January is the designated month since it is a popular time to put organizing projects into action, what with new year resolutions ..read more

If you are the type of person who has it all together by this point in the holiday season, skip ahead to the merry-making. For the rest of us, keep reading. Lots of people look forward to the holiday season all year long, being together with family and friends, yummy treats, favorite traditions, and so much more. But tucked into all that anticipation can be a boat load of stress.  The holiday season, more than any other time of year, has us chasing elusive holiday perfection. Why we continue to twist ourselves into knots to create what we perceive to be the perfect holiday experience defi ..read more

‘You should get rid of that.’ It is a phrase often heard during an ongoing downsizing or decluttering project. Sometimes friends or family members chime in on the decision-making duties that are inherent in the process. Well-meaning as it may appear, there is often no shortage of opinions tagged with that phrase. Sometimes we utter the phrase as well, half talking to ourselves. Maybe saying it out loud helps point us towards a decision. The word should packs a punch. When we apply it to ourselves, we think of it as a course correction or a recommendation. We may believe that something, whateve ..read more

When the calendar turns the page into September, summer vacations become precious memories, and the school year begins anew. The lazy, hazy days of summer with their rising temperatures are behind us, and we begin to feel the crisp air of fall taking their place. It’s sweater weather. As September marks the change of seasons, it’s time to look in our closets, take stock of what we have and come up with a plan to store off-season clothing.  Following a few best practices will keep all your wardrobe items looking as good as new. Clothes Storage Dos and Don’ts 1.      ..read more

My clients love to read! Very often I find myself in homes with books upon books upon books. This has been especially true of recent organizing or move assignments. The people I have worked with, whether in preparation for a move, settling into a new home, or decluttering to stay in place, have all had this in common:  more books than space to house them. That can be said for more than just the books in our homes, but it has definitely been a recurring theme of late. Books are a precious commodity for many reasons. It is said that to look at the books in a person’s home is to look into a ..read more