It's Spring! And after weeks of Spring Cleaning, de-cluttering and purging, you may be ready to host a yard sale.
When my husband I got married and joined households years ago, we had a yard sale. It was a fun and exhausting 2-day event that took weeks of preparation. We had a lot of stuff! We made enough money to buy a eight-person patio set for our backyard and anything that didn't sell was donated to the Vietnam Veterans Association.
A few months ago some of my yard sale tips were featured in an article on SheKnows.com called 'Tips for Holding a Successful Yard Sale.' The article offers good advice and ideas on how to price, market, display and negotiate. If you're thinking of hosting a yard sale, I suggest you take a few moments to read it--you just may pick up a few tips to make your yard sale not just successful--but profitable, too.
April 24, 2012
April 17, 2012
Best Products for Organizing Your Car
Long commute?
Live far from your family?
Got kids?
Then you probably spend a lot of time in your car.
Our cars are like a home-away-from-home. Sometimes we eat in our car. Sometimes we sleep in our car. We have TV screens and stereos and storage spaces in our cars. Yup--sounds like home to me...
So, if it's important to keep our homes organized, it is equally important to keep our home-away-from-home organized, too.
I drive a big SUV and if I didn't organize it, it would resemble a dumping ground on wheels. I have to organize my belongings, stuff for my kids, supplies for my business and supplies for the car just like I would organize any space in my home. When you're 'on-the-go' you have to be able to find what you need quickly.
This month on Organized Artistry's Facebook Page, I've been offering tips on how to organize your car. The first two were:
• Just like all other spaces, it's important to start organizing your car by sorting and purging the items inside of it. Short on time? Start with the driver's seat and each time you have a few moments, sort/purge a different section of your car until the task is complete.
• To prevent a purge pile-up, get a trash receptacle for your vehicle. Some hang, some sit on the floor. You can even make one to fit in a cup holder. Got a mini-van or SUV? You may need more than one...
Check the Organized Artistry Facebook Page for more car organizing tips every Friday through April!
Your first step towards an organized car is to sort and purge the items currently living in it. Once you know what is staying you'll need a few organizing products to help you keep your home-away-from- home neat and tidy and of course--organized.
Here are a few products I use in my own car and a few that might be useful in special situations:
Trash receptacle - If you don't want your car looking like the city dump. I highly recommend purchasing a trash receptacle for your car. This is the one I have by Case Logic and it works well for me:
I keep it thrown over my gear stick and hanging into the passenger side. It's easy to stuff the garbage into the top and the velcro bottom opens easily to release the trash. I own this in tan to match my car's interior but when it has seen better days, I'm getting one like this:
There are so many fun, colorful and cool designs, I'm not sure which I would pick! Check all of them out on Allyson Hill's The Mod Mobile Etsy site.
Visor CD Organizer - Downloading songs to my iPhone is on my long list of 'Things I'd Like to Do Someday.' So in the meantime, I've purchased a CD organizer for my visor--also from CaseLogic. My music, kiddie music--it's all stored neatly and at arm's reach.
Collapsible Crate - I got mine at a discount home store a bunch of years ago but you can find them at some office supply stores and The Container Store.
This is what is in mine: box of manila folders for organizing jobs, plastic bags, rain cover for my son's stroller, extra umbrella, and the 'restaurant' bag I'll be discussing next. Other items that can fill the crate are groceries, car accessories, and random items that might otherwise float around your trunk or back of car.
"Restaurant" Bag - I got a drawstring backpack as a promotion from a store I was making a large purchase at a few years ago. When I saw it, I knew what it would be perfect for--a 'restaurant bag.' I call it a 'restaurant bag' because it is filled with items to keep my kids occupied when we go out to eat. I keep it stocked with paper, crayons, stickers, and my two year old's highchair cover. This is kept in the crate so I'll always know where to find it when we pull into the restaurant parking lot.
Other Organizing Products for Your Car:
Recycle Bag Holder - According to the Tote Buddy website, the Tote Buddy is the 'world's first reusable bag holder.' It neatly holds all of your recycle bags when you go to the market. It's perfect for keeping all recycle bags in one place instead of strewn across a trunk or backseat. Here is an example of one below:
The people from Tote Buddy were at the NAPO Conference 2012 EXPO with all of their beautiful designs. It would make a great gift for someone who prefers to use recycle bags when they go shopping.
Organizer for Kids: Kids come with a lot of STUFF and they like to bring some of that STUFF with them when they go in the car. To prevent all that STUFF from being all over your car, consider an organizing product that hangs over the driver/passenger seat and faces the child. Many styles have room for crayons, hand-held games, books, DVDs and other STUFF kids like to have with them in the car.
Desk: Do you or someone you know work out of their car? This product is a very good solution for those with mobile office needs. The Car Go Desk secures in the passenger seat with a seat belt and offers space for files, mobile equipment and peripherals.
OK--next time you get into your car, take a good look inside. Would any of these products make your car more organized? Do you currently use any of these products? Tell me--I'd love to know!
Live far from your family?
Got kids?
Then you probably spend a lot of time in your car.
Our cars are like a home-away-from-home. Sometimes we eat in our car. Sometimes we sleep in our car. We have TV screens and stereos and storage spaces in our cars. Yup--sounds like home to me...
So, if it's important to keep our homes organized, it is equally important to keep our home-away-from-home organized, too.
I drive a big SUV and if I didn't organize it, it would resemble a dumping ground on wheels. I have to organize my belongings, stuff for my kids, supplies for my business and supplies for the car just like I would organize any space in my home. When you're 'on-the-go' you have to be able to find what you need quickly.
This month on Organized Artistry's Facebook Page, I've been offering tips on how to organize your car. The first two were:
• Just like all other spaces, it's important to start organizing your car by sorting and purging the items inside of it. Short on time? Start with the driver's seat and each time you have a few moments, sort/purge a different section of your car until the task is complete.
• To prevent a purge pile-up, get a trash receptacle for your vehicle. Some hang, some sit on the floor. You can even make one to fit in a cup holder. Got a mini-van or SUV? You may need more than one...
Check the Organized Artistry Facebook Page for more car organizing tips every Friday through April!
Your first step towards an organized car is to sort and purge the items currently living in it. Once you know what is staying you'll need a few organizing products to help you keep your home-away-from- home neat and tidy and of course--organized.
Here are a few products I use in my own car and a few that might be useful in special situations:
Trash receptacle - If you don't want your car looking like the city dump. I highly recommend purchasing a trash receptacle for your car. This is the one I have by Case Logic and it works well for me:
I keep it thrown over my gear stick and hanging into the passenger side. It's easy to stuff the garbage into the top and the velcro bottom opens easily to release the trash. I own this in tan to match my car's interior but when it has seen better days, I'm getting one like this:
 |
| Auto Trash Bag by The Mod Mobile |
There are so many fun, colorful and cool designs, I'm not sure which I would pick! Check all of them out on Allyson Hill's The Mod Mobile Etsy site.
Visor CD Organizer - Downloading songs to my iPhone is on my long list of 'Things I'd Like to Do Someday.' So in the meantime, I've purchased a CD organizer for my visor--also from CaseLogic. My music, kiddie music--it's all stored neatly and at arm's reach.
Collapsible Crate - I got mine at a discount home store a bunch of years ago but you can find them at some office supply stores and The Container Store.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Office Max |
"Restaurant" Bag - I got a drawstring backpack as a promotion from a store I was making a large purchase at a few years ago. When I saw it, I knew what it would be perfect for--a 'restaurant bag.' I call it a 'restaurant bag' because it is filled with items to keep my kids occupied when we go out to eat. I keep it stocked with paper, crayons, stickers, and my two year old's highchair cover. This is kept in the crate so I'll always know where to find it when we pull into the restaurant parking lot.
Other Organizing Products for Your Car:
Recycle Bag Holder - According to the Tote Buddy website, the Tote Buddy is the 'world's first reusable bag holder.' It neatly holds all of your recycle bags when you go to the market. It's perfect for keeping all recycle bags in one place instead of strewn across a trunk or backseat. Here is an example of one below:
 |
| The Tote Buddy |
Organizer for Kids: Kids come with a lot of STUFF and they like to bring some of that STUFF with them when they go in the car. To prevent all that STUFF from being all over your car, consider an organizing product that hangs over the driver/passenger seat and faces the child. Many styles have room for crayons, hand-held games, books, DVDs and other STUFF kids like to have with them in the car.
 |
| Over-the-seat Car Organizer by Lillian Vernon |
Desk: Do you or someone you know work out of their car? This product is a very good solution for those with mobile office needs. The Car Go Desk secures in the passenger seat with a seat belt and offers space for files, mobile equipment and peripherals.
 |
| cargodesk.biz |
OK--next time you get into your car, take a good look inside. Would any of these products make your car more organized? Do you currently use any of these products? Tell me--I'd love to know!
April 11, 2012
Organizing 'Quick Tip'
After purging items for Trash, Donation, or Repair get them out of your home ASAP.
• Trash goes to the curb/garbage room
• Donations go to a local thrift shop or drop-off bin
• Repairs go to the tailor or fix-it shop
Put Donations/Repairs in the trunk of your car and deliver the bags to the appropriate places as soon as you can. If you can arrange it, purge items from your home the day before your garbage is scheduled to be picked up.
 |
| Photo: Stacksandstacks.com |
• Donations go to a local thrift shop or drop-off bin
• Repairs go to the tailor or fix-it shop
Put Donations/Repairs in the trunk of your car and deliver the bags to the appropriate places as soon as you can. If you can arrange it, purge items from your home the day before your garbage is scheduled to be picked up.
April 4, 2012
Get Organized: Overcome Procrastination
I was going to write a blog post today about procrastination but then I thought, "I'll just write it tomorrow...'
Ha, ha, ha. That's just one of many procrastination jokes we've all seen on a magnet or a bumper sticker. But, really--procrastination is no joke. It can get in your way when trying to complete tasks or reach your goals and it can mess with your self-esteem.
If you put the 'PRO' in 'Procrastinator,' then you're in luck. Moreen Torpy of De-Clutter Coach in Ontario, Canada has written an eye-opening piece about what might be causing you to procrastinate and how to get past it. Don't put it off until later--read it NOW...
Have you been raised with the admonition to not put off till tomorrow what you can do today?
Have you ever said to yourself or another person, “I’ll put this here just for now?” Then forget you left it there?
Do you postpone doing something because you think you don’t have time to do it perfectly? Then you begin to doubt if you ever could?
What can you identify in your life that leads you to procrastinate? Here are a few ideas and what you might do to stop:
Doubt: You doubt your ability to put something away where it belongs, or if you really don’t know where it belongs, assign a place for the item and always return it there.
Perfectionism: By putting off doing something because you can’t do it perfectly. Let go of perfectionism—it’s not worth the headaches it causes.
Overwhelmed: There’s just too much to do to, for example, organize your space. Refocus and break the project down into smaller pieces then deal with only one piece at a time.
Not in the mood: When will you really be in the mood?
No visible benefit: Does it fit with your long-term goals? If so, do it. If not, let it go. And don’t tell yourself you “should” do it.
You may have more reasons than these. Make a list and write why you feel you can’t deal with them.
Then forgive yourself for procrastinating. In 2010 a group of researchers at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario determined that by doing this, your negative emotions about organizing in the future will decrease the possibility of continuing this behavior. Basically, they say to get over it and get to work. How to do this?
Set goals: Make a commitment to a project to work toward. You can focus on smaller bits of the project so it’s more do-able.
Banish boredom: Beware of time stealers. If you’re beginning to feel bored, tackle a project so the boredom doesn’t take hold and pull you into procrastination.
Let go of perfectionism: As long as you complete the project, say organizing your bedroom, it doesn’t have to be perfect to be good. Give yourself permission to change your beliefs. Sometimes “good” is “good enough”.
Dismiss fear of failure: If you’re afraid to do something because you believe you’ll fail at it, procrastination will be happy to take over. And failure will move in with procrastination! That’s failure.
Discard fear of success: If you’re worried that if you do something well, you’ll always be asked to do it. Learn to say “no”. There’s no reason for you to have to do the same thing over and over again.
Think Challenge: When you see a problem as a challenge, your whole energy will change. You will feel in charge, encouraged. And procrastination will cower in fear of you.
Refocus: Change the way you look at things. Turn your thoughts from negative to positive and see how different things are.
By implementing these tips, you can eliminate procrastination from your life and vocabulary. You’ll be on your way to living a productive life.
Moreen Torpy is the De-Clutter Coach, a Trained Professional Organizer, Author, and Speaker. Her new book is Going Forward: Downsizing, Moving and Settling In. See goforwarddownsize.com for more about the book, and decluttercoach.ca to learn about her organizing services.
Ha, ha, ha. That's just one of many procrastination jokes we've all seen on a magnet or a bumper sticker. But, really--procrastination is no joke. It can get in your way when trying to complete tasks or reach your goals and it can mess with your self-esteem.
If you put the 'PRO' in 'Procrastinator,' then you're in luck. Moreen Torpy of De-Clutter Coach in Ontario, Canada has written an eye-opening piece about what might be causing you to procrastinate and how to get past it. Don't put it off until later--read it NOW...Have you been raised with the admonition to not put off till tomorrow what you can do today?
Have you ever said to yourself or another person, “I’ll put this here just for now?” Then forget you left it there?
Do you postpone doing something because you think you don’t have time to do it perfectly? Then you begin to doubt if you ever could?
What can you identify in your life that leads you to procrastinate? Here are a few ideas and what you might do to stop:
Doubt: You doubt your ability to put something away where it belongs, or if you really don’t know where it belongs, assign a place for the item and always return it there.
Perfectionism: By putting off doing something because you can’t do it perfectly. Let go of perfectionism—it’s not worth the headaches it causes.
Overwhelmed: There’s just too much to do to, for example, organize your space. Refocus and break the project down into smaller pieces then deal with only one piece at a time.
Not in the mood: When will you really be in the mood?
No visible benefit: Does it fit with your long-term goals? If so, do it. If not, let it go. And don’t tell yourself you “should” do it.
You may have more reasons than these. Make a list and write why you feel you can’t deal with them.
Then forgive yourself for procrastinating. In 2010 a group of researchers at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario determined that by doing this, your negative emotions about organizing in the future will decrease the possibility of continuing this behavior. Basically, they say to get over it and get to work. How to do this?
Set goals: Make a commitment to a project to work toward. You can focus on smaller bits of the project so it’s more do-able.
Banish boredom: Beware of time stealers. If you’re beginning to feel bored, tackle a project so the boredom doesn’t take hold and pull you into procrastination.
Let go of perfectionism: As long as you complete the project, say organizing your bedroom, it doesn’t have to be perfect to be good. Give yourself permission to change your beliefs. Sometimes “good” is “good enough”.
Dismiss fear of failure: If you’re afraid to do something because you believe you’ll fail at it, procrastination will be happy to take over. And failure will move in with procrastination! That’s failure.
Discard fear of success: If you’re worried that if you do something well, you’ll always be asked to do it. Learn to say “no”. There’s no reason for you to have to do the same thing over and over again.
Think Challenge: When you see a problem as a challenge, your whole energy will change. You will feel in charge, encouraged. And procrastination will cower in fear of you.
Refocus: Change the way you look at things. Turn your thoughts from negative to positive and see how different things are.
By implementing these tips, you can eliminate procrastination from your life and vocabulary. You’ll be on your way to living a productive life.
Moreen Torpy is the De-Clutter Coach, a Trained Professional Organizer, Author, and Speaker. Her new book is Going Forward: Downsizing, Moving and Settling In. See goforwarddownsize.com for more about the book, and decluttercoach.ca to learn about her organizing services.
March 27, 2012
I'm Back from the NAPO 2012 Conference!
I have returned from the NAPO 2012 Conference in Baltimore, Maryland!
It was non-stop learning, networking, note-taking--very little rest. Like I said in my pre-conference blog post, 'this was no vacation.' But despite the brain overload and the seven hours of driving I did in three days, I am energized and motivated to put in place the wealth of information I learned.
Not only did I learn a ton, I also collected a tote bag full of information (and samples!) from our Product EXPO. Large companies such as Rubbermaid, Smead, 3M and Staples as well as smaller companies such as NACKit! and The Tote Buddy were represented. (I did something with Smead that I'll be blogging about soon...) Besides collecting information, I saw demos of different products and learned how to install and remove a Command hook without ripping off a layer of paint or wallpaper.
The workshops I took will be instrumental in moving my business forward in the coming year. Besides being good for my business, the ideas of the 'Clearing Clutter the 'Fun' Shui' Way' class I took are already being put to work in my own home. Before I started writing this post, I took a block of time and did some de-cluttering in my home office which has become a repository for items having nothing to do with my business. The instructor told us that "Clutter blocks the flow of prosperity." I'll be doing some more de-cluttering after lunch...
I'm looking to move forward with the social media part of my business so I took workshops on YouTube and Blogging. I learned how a presentation is like a hamburger in a public speaking workshop and discovered the 'ABC's' of organizing photos.
But the BIG news is about the local NAPO chapter I belong to--NAPO-Northern New Jersey. This year NAPO National partnered with Soles4Souls--an organization that collects new and used shoes to distribute to those in need. They offered all NAPO chapters a challenge--who could collect the most pairs of shoes? Nationwide, over 100,000 pair of shoes were collected by over 30 local chapters. But who won the competition? NAPO-Northern New Jersey--collecting a whopping 24,561 and beating out chapters double in size!
Our 'Queen of Sole,' Diane Thomson (2nd from left above) collected 10,000 pair of shoes! She collected the most shoes out of any other NAPO member (and there are over 4,000 of us). All of her hard work earned her a trip to Haiti to help distribute shoes. We are so proud of her extraordinary accomplishment!
I could go on and on about this amazing conference--the people I met, the fun I had, but it's time to go back to de-cluttering my home office the 'Fun Shui' way. Gotta let that prosperity flow...
It was non-stop learning, networking, note-taking--very little rest. Like I said in my pre-conference blog post, 'this was no vacation.' But despite the brain overload and the seven hours of driving I did in three days, I am energized and motivated to put in place the wealth of information I learned.
 |
| Our view from the Baltimore Hilton--so close to Camden Yards! |
The workshops I took will be instrumental in moving my business forward in the coming year. Besides being good for my business, the ideas of the 'Clearing Clutter the 'Fun' Shui' Way' class I took are already being put to work in my own home. Before I started writing this post, I took a block of time and did some de-cluttering in my home office which has become a repository for items having nothing to do with my business. The instructor told us that "Clutter blocks the flow of prosperity." I'll be doing some more de-cluttering after lunch...
I'm looking to move forward with the social media part of my business so I took workshops on YouTube and Blogging. I learned how a presentation is like a hamburger in a public speaking workshop and discovered the 'ABC's' of organizing photos.
But the BIG news is about the local NAPO chapter I belong to--NAPO-Northern New Jersey. This year NAPO National partnered with Soles4Souls--an organization that collects new and used shoes to distribute to those in need. They offered all NAPO chapters a challenge--who could collect the most pairs of shoes? Nationwide, over 100,000 pair of shoes were collected by over 30 local chapters. But who won the competition? NAPO-Northern New Jersey--collecting a whopping 24,561 and beating out chapters double in size!
 |
| NAPO-NNJ showing off awards at the NAPO 2012 Conference in Baltimore |
I could go on and on about this amazing conference--the people I met, the fun I had, but it's time to go back to de-cluttering my home office the 'Fun Shui' way. Gotta let that prosperity flow...
March 20, 2012
Recycle and Spring Clean with Best Buy
For most of us, recycling is part of our everyday lives. We gather paper, plastic and glass and reap the health, environmental and economic benefits to recycling.
But, recycling isn't just about putting your newspapers and tin cans at the curb. You can recycle much more than that--just walk into your local Best Buy.
I wandered in to Best Buy one day to buy a gift card for my nephew and upon entering the store, I saw this...
I couldn't believe all of the items they took for recycling!
-Plastic Bags
-Wires, Cables and Cords
-Gift Cards
-CD's, DVD's and their Cases
-Ink and Toner Cartridges
-Rechargeable Batteries
I started thinking about all of the items in my home I could place in this recycle bin. I took the above photo as a reminder (and for this blog post), looked through my home and came upon a few items I could 'donate' to the recycle bin. I placed the bag of items in my car and a few days later they were living in my local Best Buy's recycling bin.
I later learned that Best Buy recycles more than just what you can put in the bin. They take back TVs, mobile phones, video games and other electronics. To read more about other items Best Buy recycles, go to their e-cycle page. You'll be shocked at the variety of items you'll be able to recycle at their store. There are many good resources for recycling on that page, too.
Time to look through your attic, basement, closets and garage--bring your unwanted electronics to Best Buy for a little e-Spring Cleaning!
But, recycling isn't just about putting your newspapers and tin cans at the curb. You can recycle much more than that--just walk into your local Best Buy.
I wandered in to Best Buy one day to buy a gift card for my nephew and upon entering the store, I saw this...
I couldn't believe all of the items they took for recycling!
-Plastic Bags
-Wires, Cables and Cords
-Gift Cards
-CD's, DVD's and their Cases
-Ink and Toner Cartridges
-Rechargeable Batteries
I started thinking about all of the items in my home I could place in this recycle bin. I took the above photo as a reminder (and for this blog post), looked through my home and came upon a few items I could 'donate' to the recycle bin. I placed the bag of items in my car and a few days later they were living in my local Best Buy's recycling bin.
I later learned that Best Buy recycles more than just what you can put in the bin. They take back TVs, mobile phones, video games and other electronics. To read more about other items Best Buy recycles, go to their e-cycle page. You'll be shocked at the variety of items you'll be able to recycle at their store. There are many good resources for recycling on that page, too.
Time to look through your attic, basement, closets and garage--bring your unwanted electronics to Best Buy for a little e-Spring Cleaning!
March 16, 2012
I'm Going to the NAPO 2012 Conference in Baltimore!
I have attended three other NAPO Conferences in the past and let me tell you, this is no vacation. My experience attending the Conference can only be described as a brain-blowing, intense, and jam-packed with organizing and entreprenurial education and networking.
The workshops I've signed up for are on the topic of:
Public Speaking
You Tube
Blogging
Photo Organizing
Feng Shui
Bringing Your Organizing Product to Market
There are 'Ask the Organizer' Panels and Pre-Conference workshops, too. I'm also going to an informal gathering for people who use Evernote (where I dump and store the thousands of ideas I have swimming in my brain). Our Keynote address is being presented by Bill Rancic--the man who was the first winner of The Apprentice!
I'm looking forward to meeting new organizers, spending more time with my NAPO-NNJ and NAPO-NY colleagues and those I don't know very well. I'm also excited to visit the Conference EXPO hall which is always chock full of booths from companies that support the organizing profession.
My Conference materials have been downloaded, I've made my packing list, and mapped out the almost 4-hr drive to Baltimore. I'll let you know all about it when I get back!
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