An Organizing Insight

Staying organized is not always easy. Even organizers have trouble spots. For me that is clothes. I think as soon as I give that orange blouse away, I will find the perfect suit to go with it. So things hang around longer than they should. One day I was going through the painful task of culling clothes from my crowded closet, when I pulled down a skirt set I loved but had not worn in a while. I discovered that the elastic in the waste band had hardened and stretched. I had to toss it or repair it. Then it hit me! I needed to do what I tell everybody else to do--only keep those things I use and enjoy. Bags of clothes went to charity that day.

The insight I took away from that experience is that not being organized is a real drain on my energy and a waste of good stuff. Everything I keep requires time and energy to take care of it or time and energy to clean it up and haul it away. Clearing clutter and staying organized conserves my time and energy. I am amazed it took me decades for that to hit home.

If you have questions about organizing or want to expose yourself to some insights about the things that keep clutter in your life, take a trip to the Meyera Obendorf Memorial Library in Virginia Beach on the morning of Saturday, January 30th. A panel of professional organizers will be there from 10:30 to 12:00 to answer any questions about organizing. The organizers are members of Hampton Roads Professional Organizers and are offering this service as part of National Get Organized Month activities. I hope to see you there.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Tips for Managing Holiday Gatherings

Getting together with friends and family is one of the joys of the season. It can also be a trial when personalities clash or the event arrives before you are ready. Whether you are hosting the gathering or attending it, here are a few tips to lessen the stress.

Deciding what to wear is one of the great stressors for gals who often plan the wardrobe for the whole family. Make that decision long before the day of the event and hang the entire cleaned and pressed outfit, including underwear and accessories, on one hanger. When it is time to dress, there is no second-guessing, the right underwear is not in the dirty clothes hamper, and you do not have to scramble to find the missing snowflake earring.

When giving a party, be ready a half an hour early. I have never hosted a party when someone did not arrive before the stated start time. If it is a dinner party, have a few help-yourself appetizers set out for the early arrivals to nosh on while you put the finishing touches on the meal and table setting.

Be prepared for an unexpected guest by having a place setting in reserve and a plan in your head for where you will seat the extra guest. Under the best circumstances, no unexpected visitor will show up, but if one does you are prepared and cool as a cucumber as you squeeze him in next to Grandpa.

A hostess gift is a nice gesture, but do not expect the hostess to set out your home baked goods or wine. It is her choice whether to share your gift or save it to enjoy later. I saw a party brought to a standstill last year because a guest insisted that everyone taste his homemade snickerdoodles and peppermint Schnapps, even though the party had a carefully planned Felice Navidad theme. As a guest, follow the host’s lead and let it go his way. As a host, just say “ Thank you for the lovely gift. I am going to certainly enjoy this later.”

Steer clear of confrontation by having a few stock phrases for irritating and disagreeable encounters. Some of them are: “ I can’t say I agree, but what an interesting idea.” or “ Let’s talk about this another time” or “Look, there is Leo. I have been looking for him. Excuse me.” Then go somewhere else quickly.

Planning and preparation are the first to steps to organizing and they are good ways to take stress out of holiday gatherings.

Have a terrific holiday and may all your gatherings be happy ones.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransition.net

Organize Your Underwear

I recently had a conversation with a group of professional organizers about organizing underwear. We all agreed that it was a common problem for most of the folks we work with but we could not agree on the best way to get the disorganized underwear drawer under control. Personal items require personalized solutions. Here is one solution that works for many people.

Start by separating the bras from the panties and then sort each category into types. Most women have everyday bras, sports bras and specialty bras like strapless, push up and super-sexy. Panties most often are everyday, control and sexy. They may also be divided into high-rise, bikinis, and thongs. Once the underwear is sorted by type sort it by color.

Use separate shallow drawers if you have a lingerie chest or dresser that is outfitted with underwear drawers. If you are trying to fit your underwear into a standard drawer, use drawer dividers or boxes to separate the various types of underwear. Organize.com offers a flexible diamond drawer separator that allows for one piece of underwear to be stored in each cubicle. They also offer spring loaded drawer dividers that work well to create various sized spaces for underwear. If you want something specifically designed for your undies they also carry drawer dividers labeled “bra box”, “panty box” and “boxer box”.

When placing items in the dividers, put bras on their sides with cups fitting into each other; roll panties and store them one layer deep. This method allows you to identify the item you are looking for without rifling through a pile of stuff. It also allows the insertion of items in the space you want them without having to rearrange anything.

If you are having trouble finding the underwear you need when you need it, give this system a try.


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Bring Organization to Your Bedroom

Here are a few hints to bring a little organization to your bedroom:

List the things you do in the bedroom. Then determine the best place to accomplish that task, given the space available. Think of the bedroom in zones (Sleeping Zone, Dressing Zone, Play Zone, Study Zone, Relaxing/Socializing Zone)

Group the items that are needed for that activity together in that space as much as possible.

• Create a reading station near the bed that includes adequate lighting, book mark, and a place for book and glasses. Great reading lamps and organizers can be found at Office Max.
• Store children’s must have bed items in a bedside table or an under-bed rolling storage box that is easy for them to access. Underbed storage containers are available at Home Depot, Ikea, Lowe’s and Wal-Mart.
  

Use decorative pegboard with various size hooks to keep belts, scarves, small purses, and even, jewelry displayed for easy access. Local hardware stores will custom cut to your specifications or you can buy it in pre-cut sized. Pegboard and peg board accessories can be found at local hardware stores and Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Wal-Mart.

Simple, stacking, jewelry trays from places like Bed Bath & Beyond, Homestoragewarehouse.com and Lillian Vernon will fit in most dresser drawers.

Egg crates and ice cube trays also make good containers for small items (earrings, tie tacks), that allow the items to be easily seen and can be stacked in a dresser drawer.

Increase space in your closet by using thin, flocked hangers available at Bed Bath & Beyond, HSN.com, Target and Wal-Mart.

Store everyday and athletic shoes in rolling bins available at Lowe’s and Wal-Mart

Keep shoes accessible and easy to locate by storing in clear plastic boxes that are labeled or even have a photo of the contents attached. Clear shoe boxes are available at Bed Bath & Beyond and Dollar Tree. A clear shoe organizing system is available at Neatboxes.com.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

RESOLVE TO MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY

The National Association of Professional Organizers designates January as Get Organized Month. Getting organized is the third most common type of New Year’s resolution, ranking right behind resolutions that deal with better health and better finances.

In our experience, people who successfully get organized and stay organized do it for themselves. Many times we hear: “ I would really be happy if I could have somebody over and not be embarrassed”, “I would really be happy if I could walk in my closet and have a clue what is in there”, “I would really be happy if I could manage my mail and get my bills paid on time.”

These folks know that the clutter in their lives is a problem and they would be happier without it.

That is a good start. Once they decided what would make them happy, they set about to achieve the improvement. They called us to help them plan and execute a strategy to make it happen.

Everyone does not need a professional organizer to get organized. Everyone does need a personal goal and a plan to reach it. It is easier to keep your goal to get organized if it meets your personal need and is not done to please someone else. It is easier to stay organized if your system is personalized for your style and needs. It does not have to be complicated. It doesn’t even have to be pretty, if that is not important to you. It just has to work for you.

So when you make your resolution to get organized, make a “happiness statement”. For instance, “It would really make me happy to have all the pet stuff organized so I can quickly take care of the dogs when I get home from work”. Then execute your plan for organizing the pet supplies and celebrate your accomplishment. Keep it organized for a month and it will most likely stay that way.

Then you can make yourself happy with another goal.

This gives a whole new meaning to “Have a happy New Year!”

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Create Routines to Stay Organized

One way to stay organized is to work organizing routines into your usual activities. This is the time of year that many of us are tucking light-weight clothes into less accessible spaces and putting our winter clothes where we can more easily get to them. Save time next Spring by culling out the obsolete items in your Spring/Summer wardrobe while you are shifting them to another space. Discard worn out clothing and collect the items in good condition that you have not worn this season to give to charity. Many churches and charitable organizations are happy to accept lightweight clothing anytime of year for donation in tropical climates.

As you are gathering clothing to store, think about how you will need it next year. The slightly heavier pants tops and other clothing may come out in April while the skimpiest things in your wardrobe may not see light of day until June. Group the clothing according to when you expect to be using it again and you can bring it out for use a little at a time if you are dealing with a busy schedule. Also consider packing together items of like colors so that when you bring them out next Spring you can easily group them in your closet. Next year when you are looking for just the right white blouse, you can quickly review what your choices are and save time making the selection.

If you are lucky enough to anticipate travel to warmer climes in the middle of winter, put the items you expect to take with you in a suitcase as you go through your wardrobe. You will have a head start on vacation packing and will have an idea what you need to supplement your travel supplies so you can take advantage of special shopping finds.

Even if your closet space is large enough to accommodate all of your clothing and accessories, you will save time having seasonal clothing grouped together. The more clothes you have to look through to make a choice, the more time it takes. By limiting the items you need to consider before making a selection, you save yourself time.

If you follow this process every season as you rearrange your closets, you will establish a routine way of keeping your closets organized - and saving yourself time every time you chose an outfit to wear. Then you can use that time to organize the remaining clutter in your life, or to just enjoy the things you love.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

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 LAUNDRY ROOM CLUTTER

Whether you have a laundry room or a laundry closet, there is lots of opportunity to create clutter in that space. The tinier it is, the more likely that you are challenged to keep it neat. Throw in a little “help” from tiny hands that are interested in how the dryer works and you have a pretty good chance for a mess to accumulate. Here are a few tips for keeping on top of washing, drying and folding clothes.

1. Sort clothes and place in a container to transport to the washing machine. Stacks on the floor can shift and you can end up with unwanted pink underwear when a red garment finds its way into the white clothes pile. There are divided compartment laundry sorters that can be stored in larger laundry rooms. For smaller spaces try collapsible bins that can be stored flat on a shelf or on edge in little space until needed for sorting.
   
2. Keep laundry products together on a shelf or cart near the washer and dryer. Even in the smallest space you can use shelves that fit on the top of washer and dryer. Also consider use of space above the appliances for a cabinet or shelves to keep these products handy. Never store on the floor if it can be avoided. Floor storage collects dust and promotes spills.
   
3. Save time by hanging clothes as you remove them from the dryer. A portable hanging rack will work in larger laundry rooms and many hanging alternatives for small spaces are available in catalogues and on-line shopping sites.
   
4. If possible, fold clothes as you take them from the dryer. Heaping them in a pile will cause wrinkles and you will expend extra time and energy ironing. Also match socks as you go. This is a good job for older toddlers and children who are eager to help.
   
5. If you need to keep an eye on little ones as you tackle these chores, create a special play zone in the space. Some suggestions for activities include a play iron and ironing board (where your helper could iron tea towels or other items) and a basket filled with too-small clothes that a toddler could fold to her heart’s content. Any favorite toy that does not offer a chance for dirty hands or coloring utensils to stain clothing can be added to the play station.
   
6. Commit to put the clothes away at the first opportunity. Hectic schedules sometimes make it impossible to put everything away as it comes out of the dryer. One technique is to promise yourself to get the laundry stashed in its designated home before your head hits the pillow that night. You can take advantage of little fragments of time to get it done
   
   
   Using these ideas, you should be able to keep your laundry area clutter free.
   
   Beverly & Kristen
   www.KeyTransitions.net

Avoid Closet Clutter Traps

The closet is full of clutter traps-on the floor, on the shelves, on the hanging rods. Here are a few hints to help your closet stay organized.

Avoid creating systems that look good but do not work for you. Shoe racks and shoe shelves can be a big help in organizing footwear, but if you can’t find the time to put the shoes in the rack or stack them on the shelves, you still end up with shoes scattered on the floor. Try using cubbies for shoes; it is just as easy to stick a pair of shoes in an open cubby as it is to drop them on the floor. Also try rolling bins for clunky everyday shoes like sneakers and Crocs. They can fit under a high hanging rack and conceal the jumble of shoes.

Do not overstuff hanging racks. Make more room by using double hang racks (upper and lower) when possible. Also use flat flocked hangers that take up less space than wooden hangers and are kind to most fabrics.

Use dividers on shelves to separate folded clothes and purses. If you have surplus hanging space, use hanging dividers. They come in many configurations and meet most clothing and accessory storage needs. An over the door purse holder will free up limited shelf space.

Keep a basket or bin in or near the closet for clothes that you find need repair. Check it one a week to replace buttons, tack hems and make other repairs.

Keep a small wastepaper basket in or near the closet for tags and fasteners you remove from new clothing and laundry bags.

Use hooks on pegboard or vacant wall space to hang belts and scarves.

Look at these web sites for inspirational closet system and accessories that work with you to maintain organization.

www.ikea.com
www.stacksandstacks.com
www.shopgetorganized.com
www.thecontainerstore.com
www.bedbathandbeyond.com


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransition.net

AVOIDING BEDROOM CLUTTER TRAPS

We have bad news. The only way to avoid clutter in the bedroom is to put it away when you take it off or bring it into the room. The key to avoiding the “I’m too tired” and “I don’t have the time” piles of miscellany is to make it as easy as possible to tuck things away. That includes the bed linens.

Many of our beds look beautiful when made with matching coverlet and shams. The coordinating occasional pillows and cushions are scattered artfully and there is not a crease to be found. Much of the time, unfortunately, the bed is not made and the coordinating coverlet, sham encased pillows, and decorative pillows are scattered on the floor.

Consider an “everyday” bed look and a “company” look. For the “everyday” look use good quality coordinating sheets and pillowcases with a harmonizing blanket or quilt that can be folded at the foot of the bed or pulled up to the pillow line. It takes less than two minutes to tidy the bed when you rise and it is ready to jump in when you are ready to rest. Stack the beautiful coverlet shams and decorative pillows neatly on a quilt rack or in a nearby chest or decorative container. They will be ready to decorate the space when company comes or you have time for a more elaborate bed-making. Another alternative is to keep these items in an underbed storage chest that you can pull out when needed.

Furniture surfaces in a bedroom also become cluttered with jewelry, change, reading materials, bottles of medicine, and grooming products. The best way to keep clutter down in these areas is to use decorative containers and systems close to the point of use so that you can put things away as you use them. A valet or box for items you use everyday like your watch and keys should be placed wherever you dress and undress so you can easily retrieve them when you get ready to go out.

Clothes on the floor is another clutter trap. Sometimes we just don’t have the energy to walk a step further when we finally get home. Try putting two hampers in the bedroom where you undress-one for laundry and one for dry cleaning. You can easily throw your clothes there instead of on the floor. As a last alternative designate a “clothes chair” and put all items there. Clear out the chair at least twice a week. It will not keep clutter away but it will keep it at bay and manageable.

For those of us who like to read in bed, a bedside reading station can be created by putting a basket that coordinates with the bedroom next to the bed. If there is no room on the bedside table, it can be placed under or beside the table, on the floor. It will contain the reading light, book and bookmark that used to land on the floor.

These web sites might give you inspiration to better manage clutter traps in your bedroom.

www.lillianvernon.com
www.levenger.com
www.shopgetorganized.com


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Tips for Organized Packing

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” is a song many will be singing in the next few weeks. Others will head for a destination holiday that includes sunny climes or fun winter activities. No matter where you are going, travel these days poses a host of problems. Carefully thinking about what you really need and organizing clothing and personal items for convenience, easy portability and access can minimize many of them.

It starts with planning and takes into consideration where you are going, how long you will be gone and what activities are planned while you are at your destination. Once you have those particulars in mind, gather the clothes you will take with you. Some of the best advice I have been given is that once you have decided what to take, put a third of it back in your closet. Cull out those items that don’t fit a selected color palette (usually neutral tans and browns or black or blue). Retain a few accessories to add pizzazz and splashes of color to to your basic wardrobe. Make sure you have comfortable shoes, serviceable undergarments and necessary toiletries, emergency products and prescription drugs. Many packing lists for travel by different modes of transportation and different destinations can be found on the web. Some of them are:
www.onebag.com
www.traveltime.org
www.backpackeurope.com

Once you have gathered the items you are taking with you, it is time to pack your bags. Make sure the bags are sturdy and close securely and they are a weight you can lift from the car, the airport carousel or haul upstairs at your relatives house. Fewer bags are better. There is limited space no matter where you are going and, unless you have personal porters, it is a hassle to lug around multiple bags.

You now have another decision to make. How will you store your clothes in the bag? Will you roll, fold or bundle? Rolling works well for t-shirts and flexible fabrics. Jeans, on the other hand, may take up more room rolled than they do folded. As a general rule, minimize wrinkling in soft-sided luggage by rolling and packing tightly. In rigid frame luggage, fold or use the bundle method. The bundle method minimizes the number of folds, thus potential creases, and has some of the cushioning value of the roll method. Bundling involves laying clothes across the suitcase with larger items on the bottom and then folding them tightly around a core bundle of clothing and accessories. A thorough illustrated explanation of packing using the bundle method can be found in The Packing Book by Judith Gilford available at www.amazon.,com.

Check off the items on your list as you pack and tuck a copy in an easily accessible place in case luggage is lost. It also will serve as a handy reference when you evaluate the usefulness of the items you chose to take with you and refine your list for future excursions.

Remember to keep prescription medications and travel documents, and other absolutely essential items with you at all time. If luggage is lost or delayed you do not want to be without these necessities.

Make travel easier by:

• Consulting expert sites for lists and travel tips
• Taking as few bags as you can
• Making a packing list and checking off items as you pack them
• Using a packing method that helps maximize space and minimize wrinkles
• Keeping the packed weight of bags to a level you can comfortably lift and tote
• Refining your packing list after each trip to eliminate things you did not need and add things you wished you had included.
• Rolling with the punches when the unexpected happens

Happy wanderings!

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Sock It to Me!

Socks are great for protecting feet on warm days and warming feet on cold days. They are supposed to travel in pairs but often get separated between the dirty clothes hamper and the stack of clean clothes. Their small size, odd shape and sheer numbers make them a challenge to get organized and keep organized. Here are few tips and tools for making sock finding easier.

Consider separating socks by use, then by color. For instance, work socks could be separated into blue, black, brown. Athletic socks could be separated into white and other. The categories can be further separated by style if you have longer socks, shorter socks, specialty socks.

While you are sorting the socks into categories, separate out any loners who have gotten separated from their mates. Also separate out any worn socks, socks with holes and socks you have not worn in a year. (An exception might be thermal socks you save for the coldest winters)

Discard the worn, holey, unused socks. We suggest holding onto the sole mates through three washings to see if their partner turns up. If no mate appears toss the lonely sock or put it to another use. Socks make great puppets and dust cloths.

Now that your socks are separated and mated, how do you keep them together and organized? I like to keep my socks rolled together in pairs. I sort them by color and store them on a shelf in dishpan containers from the dollar store. Each container holds a different color. I have no trouble keeping my socks together and finding the pair I need when I need them.

Some folks prefer to fold their socks in pairs and there are several storage containers made specifically for folded socks. One of these type containers is a four inch wide clear plastic rectangle that fits nicely into dresser drawers. These can be lined up in rows to separate colors and types of socks. Another tool for organizing is an expandable diamond drawer organizer that gives a ready view of socks stored in the drawer. One client who uses this system say sorting by color isn’t necessary since he can view all his clean socks at a glance.

There are also some handy devices for keeping socks together when you throw them in the laundry and subject them to the washer and dryer cycles. One of our clients keeps plastic clothes pins handy for her children to clip socks together before tossing in the hamper. Soc-locks are handy little circles that grab pairs of socks without damaging the material and can be tossed in the washer and dryer.

These items can be found at the following websites:

www.Allbrightideas.com
www.Soc-locks.com
www.stacksandstacks.com
www.organize.com

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organized Travel with Zip Lock Bags

I just returned from vacation- a week at the beach with extended family ranging in ages from fifteen months to eighty-four years. We all had a great time and I came home wandering how I ever traveled before the invention of zip lock bags.

When I was packing to go, I put anything I thought might leak into those bags. Fingernail polish, make-up and other toiletries found a home as well as lens cleaner and suntan lotion. Jewelry and socks were stuffed into bags. And then I discovered the Big Bags! Perfect for packing the towels and linen we needed for the rental cottage. We just stuffed the used dirty items back in the bags to cart home to wash. Those big bags come in three sizes from ten quarts to twenty quarts and are great for toting an extra set of clothes for the kids or for separating wet swim suits from dry apparel. I have decided to store clothes in them this winter. They will take up less space than cartons or boxes. They even have a handle that makes them easy to carry.

The young mother in the group uses zip lock bags to organize her diaper bag and that sure makes it easier to change the baby’s diaper or find a snack or pull out a clean set of clothes when accidents happen.

Now that I am back home, it is time to go to the grocery store and stack up on the staple items. The first thing on my list is zip lock bags in varying sizes.

The Old SOFT Shoe

I read recently that the average man owns five pair of shoes and the average woman owns fifteen pairs of shoes. In this instance, I am happy to report I am way above average. All the women in my family are above average and most of my friends are above average. Because of these associations, I have witnessed many struggles to organize shoes and have my own preferences for making it easy to find, retrieve and store those lovely little foot protectors.

When thinking about arranging shoes in an orderly fashion I recall the word SOFT (as in soft shoe - a dance step). That stands for Sort, Observe, Find, and Test.

The first step is to sort your shoes. Match up pairs and put them in categories. I prefer to use the categories of sandals, flats, heels, formal shoes and boots. Within these categories, you can continue to sort by colors or seasons if you like.

Once the shoes are sorted, observe their style, condition and fit. It is unwise to keep shoes that are terribly scuffed, broken or in disrepair. It is also uncomfortable to wear shoes that pinch, cause blisters or are ill-fitting. Also look for shoes that are out of style. Separate those shoes from the ones that look good, fit right and are stylish. Then discard or make arrangement to donate them.

The next step is to find out how many pairs of shoes you have left to store and find the organizing tool that fits your needs. I like cubbies for my flats and everyday shoes, bins for my athletic shoes, shelves for my boots and clear boxes for my heels and formal shoes. There are all kinds of solutions on the market from stackable shelves to free standing cabinets and shoe wheels that minimize use of closet space.

Once you have chosen your storage system arrange your shoes so that you can see them and you have access to them. If using boxes, you may want to take a picture of the shoe and place on the box so you can easily identify what is inside. If you have to seasonally switch shoes to more accessible places from less accessible places, you can use storage boxes that have a spring/summer picture on one end and a fall/winter picture on the other.

Finally, test the system. Are you able to easily find and retrieve shoes when you want them and easily return them to storage when you’re through wearing them? If not, tweak your system until you have a great fit.

Some sites with storage solutions for shoes are:
www.stacksandstacks.com
www.neatcontainers.com
www.clear-shoe-boxes.com
www.organize.com
www.homedecorators.com
www.lowes.com
www.homedepot.com

A professional organizer can help you choose the right systems for your organizing style and maximize the space you have available.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Bedrooms

Bedrooms are for sleeping, right? You would think a room with such a specific purpose would be easy to keep organized and uncluttered. That is not the story for most of our clients. The truth is that a bedroom is a multipurpose room and sleeping is just one of the functions it supports. The functions of a bedroom depend on the frequency of use and the age(s) of the occupant(s). So-called spare bedrooms often become the repository for homeless objects and unfinished projects so we are not talking about them today. They are a whole different challenge. We are focusing on regular occupied bedrooms where folks sleep, share intimacies with spouses, partners and friends, get dressed, store clothes and jewelry, read, study, exercise, sometimes have home offices and hobby stations. It is a truly multi-functional space. Often it is the only private space for individuals sharing a home.

Because a bedroom is used for more than one thing, the first step in removing clutter and organizing the space is to list the things you do in the bedroom. Then determine the best place to accomplish that task, given the space available. We find it helpful to think of the bedroom in zones. The most often used categories include:

- Sleeping Zone
- Dressing Zone
- Play Zone
- Study Zone
- Relaxing/Socializing Zone

Once we have established the zones, we group the items that are needed for that activity together in that space as much as possible. While we are completing that activity we assist the client in arranging, storing and purging items that go in the space.

Some hints our clients have found helpful include:

- Create a reading station near the bed that includes adequate lighting, book mark, and a place for book and glasses
- Store children’s must have bed items in a bedside table or an underbed rolling storage box that is easy for them to access
- Use pegboard or cork board to hang jewelry near the dressing area

An organized uncluttered bedroom is a worthwhile investment. Getting dressed in the morning is less stressful and going to sleep at night is more peaceful.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net