ORGANIZE YOUR YARD SALE DISPLAY

We visited a few yard sales this week and we just could not turn off the organizer within us. We kept noticing that some folks did not make the best use of their space. Maybe they just wanted a little fresh air and sunshine and selling the unwanted items didn’t matter much. That is the impression they projected with the jumble of items that littered their lawns.

We are serious about yard sales we organize for ourselves and for our clients. We want to make money, maintain safety, use our time well and have fun, so we have a few guiding principles that we abide by when it comes to space utilization and display.

Provide prices for everything. It is not necessary to put a price on every item if you are willing to accept a single price for a category. Examples are:
Men’s T-shirts $2.00
Paperback books $0.25
For items priced by category, keep a list next to the cashier space.
If time is running short or you have a bunch of miscellany that defies description, allow customers to fill a bag you provide for a set price that is posted on the bin of items

Be clear about what is included in the price. Keep multi-piece sets together with pins, rubber bands or plastic zip bags. Make special note on price tag about features or pieces missing.

Maintain safety. Allow adequate space between display sites for two people to walk side-by-side. This allows for two-way traffic, parents with children, and handicap access.

Make sure that sharp objects do not protrude into walk space and that heavy objects are not precariously balanced on shelves. Also remove any broken pieces or loose small pieces from open access and put in plastic bags and tape to the item if they are part of the sale. Do not place green tarps on green grass. Some shoppers may have difficulty seeing where the boundary is and stumble over the items on the tarp. Make sure display tables and other devices are sturdy and able to support the weight of items displayed on them.

Put like things together. Some categories to consider are toys, children’s clothing, tools, small appliances, exercise equipment, jewelry, home decor. Books are a tricky item and some advice columns say they do not sell well. That has not been our experience. Think about putting some of your books with categories that are directed to customer segments: children’s books with toys, how-to books with tools, recipe books with kitchen items. It just might tempt your customers to peruse the book stacks for others that might interest them. Put things next to each other that appeal to market segments: toys next to children’s clothing, garden equipment next to tools, jewelry next to women’s clothing.

Capture passers-by with visible merchandise. Set tempting items close to the curb. If possible, include items that will draw in various population segments. A piece of furniture, a toy, a fertilizer spreader and a piece of exercise equipment will attract very different buyers and more buyers equal more sales.

Have fun. Yard sales are a way to rid yourself of unwanted items, meet new people and make a little cash. While doing that you get to enjoy fresh air and sunshine and your choice of refreshing beverage. We call that a good day!

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

AVOID HOME OFFICE CLUTTER

A home office has become standard for most residences. In addition to the usual bookkeeping and filing tasks that come with running a home, many workers now do almost as many work related tasks at home as they do during their regular work day. The latest statistics available from the Bureau of Labor indicated that 20.7 million workers bring work home on a regular basis. With home and work related projects crowding the limited space, it is no wonder we sometimes end up with a less than orderly office.

Here are a few tips for avoiding clutter and making it easier to get the work done.

Create separate filing systems and storage areas for home and work files. If you do not have two filing drawers available use a portable box or rolling file that can be kept in a space way from children and pets.

Place only frequently used items on the desk. Store everything else on shelves, in drawers or in stackable filing bins.

Place the things you use most often on your “handed” side of the desk. If you are right handed they go on the right side. For left handed folks they go on the left.

Put the most urgent projects where you cannot forget them. Desk trays and desktop filing systems are some tools that can neatly keep these items in sight.

File frequently used resources on nearby shelves in coordinated binders to create a neat appearance

Use magazine folders to corral professional journals and resource articles

Hang a bulletin board or magnetic board within easy reach for posting notes and reminders

You can find inspiration for organizing your home office at the following web sites:
www.officemax.com
www.target.com
www.potterybarn.com
www.getorganized.com
www.levemgers.com

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Uncluttered With Children

“There is no way to have an uncluttered house with two little ones underfoot!” our young friend lamented. She was trying to get ready to have a meeting at her house and just could not imagine how she could get things picked up before the guests arrived. She was right. Without help, she could not get the family room organized in time for the meeting. So, together with another recruit, we succeeded in having the space presentable and the guests never suspected that we were hauling blocks up the back stairs as she was greeting them at the front door.

My friend has since adopted organization systems that are better suited to young families. Now, she can have the family room presentable for guests in 30 minutes or less. The secret is to:
Ÿ use storage systems that are accessible to the children who use them,
Ÿ establish rules for playing and returning items to their place,
Ÿ limit the number of play items, and
Ÿ select storage that hides content from view.

Storage systems that hide content from view include toy boxes, shelves with doors and baskets that fit in cubbies or tables. Even open baskets that group like items help give a more orderly appearance to a room. The most important thing is that the storage system is appropriate for the age of the child. A two-year-old cannot be expected to line books neatly on a shelf, but he can randomly place them in a basket. Children can also “help” pick up toys and put them in a box. Toy boxes can be wagon seats, covered ottomans or an oversized basket that fits under a table.

Children can begin from an early age to learn to pick things up before going outside, or going to bed. They can also understand picking up some toys to "make room” to play with blocks or use a riding toy. These simple rules set the groundwork for more extensive requirements as the child grows and takes responsibility for picking up his toys.

Some children have so many toys that even adults are overwhelmed at the array of choices. By storing some toys and rotating them in the play space, young children have a better opportunity to play with what is available without distraction. When interest in a toy wanes, retire that one for a while and bring out something new to delight the child. Older children can participate in the selection. For instance, you can agree to have only ten stuffed animals on the bed at a time. The rest can go to the “animal reserve” for a while. The “reserve” can be a display shelf, a box under the bed or one of a number of clever storage systems to house a stuffed animal collection that are available on-line.

Keep the systems accessible to the children who use them. Hooks should be placed no higher than the child’s shoulder level. Shelves should be low enough to reach without climbing and doors and lids should open easily and safely. The storage should be placed in the area where the child does the activity so he can easily get his things out and put them away.

Our friend adopted these suggestions and the next time she was called on to host a meeting, she gathered the family room clutter (mostly toys) with the help of her children and was ready in no time.

Living with children is a wonderful experience--made better by organization that makes life easier.

Take a look at these sites to find child-friendly storage systems:
www.potterybarn.com
www.kettler.com
www.target.com
www.constructiveplaythings,com
www.ikea.com

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

AVOID GARAGE CLUTTER

Do you keep your car in your garage? The U. S. Department of Energy reports that 25% of people with two car garages don’t park any cars in there and that 32% parked only one car, although they had at least two cars in the household. The National Association of Professional Organizers reports that 50% of homeowners rate the garage as the most disorganized space in the house. The report also states that the garage is a place the whole family uses regularly, a fact that adds to the challenge of keeping the space free of clutter.

The garage becomes the storage place for all the stuff that won’t fit in the house and all the stuff that is designated for outside use. It is a convenient place to drop off items that you need to haul elsewhere sometime in the future and messy projects that would create cleaning problems in the main living space. It is the place the kids drop of skateboards and bicycles and surfboards. So what can you do to reclaim the space for your car or at least bring some order to what you really use the garage for.

Here are a few simple tips for keeping garage clutter at bay.

1. Sort the garage contents into categories. Some examples are: sports equipment, wood working, yard maintenance, holiday storage. While sorting, discard any equipment that is broken or obsolete.

2. Create a zone for items in each category. Estimate the space you need for storage of each category and plan how to accommodate it in the space available. Consider systems that hang equipment on walls and overhead storage platforms. Shelves and cubbies can store cleaning products and instruction manuals as well as miscellaneous items. Also consider storage sheds and all-weather storage bins for storage of some items outside the garage.


3. When storing items used by children, make sure they are within reach of the users. Also review with the children and other family members the expectation that things are put back in designated spaces.

4. Create a drop off center at the point of entry to the garage from the house. Do not allow the number of items in that space to overflow before you deal with them.

5. Do a “garage check” once a month to make sure things are where they belong. Make it part of the regular housekeeping schedule.

6. Make sure the members of the household know the rules for maintaining the space and participate in the clean-ups when the clutter begins to pile up.

With a little planning and upkeep you will be able to open the garage bay without embarrassment when the neighbors are looking and maybe even park your car in there.


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net