Organized BY FAR

10/26/2017

The New York Times

My high school year book quote was, “The house of you is filled with rooms waiting to be visited.” Because those rooms are filled with memories, not stuff.

Stuff in the attic. Stuff in the basement. Stuff in boxes on the top shelf in the closet. Stuff in bags. Stuff in boxes. Stuff stuffed inside of stuff.

Most folks keep stuff around because it sparks a memory but “it” is not the memory. Stuff has no memory but the sight of the stuff helps us remember what we already experienced. Stuff just collects dust and takes up space.

The very best memories are within our hearts and minds.

Our special memories can be sparked by photographs of our treasures as easily as by unboxing the dusty, musty items we store away.

Consider the fact that your phone can become your best Organizing Assistant and use it liberally to help you clear out the extra clutter.

Photos on a thumb drive are much easier to store than all that stuff you have in boxes.

When we discard a person’s accumulated possessions, we are throwing out the record of a life.

07/12/2017

National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals

National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals

See why NAPO members set the industry standard for professionalism in the Productivity and Organizing Industry. Not one, not two, but FIVE NAPO members were featured in this recent article!

http://www.rd.com/home/cleaning-organizing/household-chores-that-save-time/

03/11/2017

The Story of Stuff Project

The Story of Stuff Project

If you're wondering what all the fuss about microfibers is all about, check this out:

01/02/2017

It’s in the news again, two different articles about plastic bag bans.
Two nearby towns are preparing to ditch plastic bags. Smart towns!
Michigan is banning towns from choosing this way to help save the world. Stupid Michigan.

Is your town moving towards a similar decision?
Wonder how you can make the leap to no more plastic bags?

We use plastic bags for everything, shopping, storage, trash, recycling, travel. We use a LOT of bags, and thinking about how to eliminate them all can be daunting, so let’s keep it simple and start with shopping bags. The kind of bags we use to take home items we have purchased.

Whether for food or other items, we all make regular shopping stops every day/week/month and buy essentially the same things over and over again. Most of it goes home with us in regular plastic T-shirt bags so I recommend basic canvas tote bags for your regular shopping trips.

Canvas bags, new or used are great because you can machine wash them. This is super important for the bags you use to carry home your food. Try to designate specific bags as food shopping bags. Once you have enough bags for this very important use try not to use them for other things.

Having a range of different sized bags to serve different needs is great. Open top tote bags are the best because zippers, ties, and button closures can be a nuisance. Many of us already have some from various events, others can be found second hand. I have several ‘log bags’ I found at a discount shop for real big items and several smaller ones from give-aways that I use for small items. Each bag will have it’s own special use based on size and strength, there by helping you with each of your shopping needs.

For spur of the moment shopping stops or any time that canvas bags are just too much, I recommend light weight fold-away or roll-up bags. Stash one in your purse, backpack, and glove compartment for just such spontaneous stops.

12/22/2016

Check out just how easy making donations can be! Free shipping of your old, gently used items to a donation center!!

https://www.givebackbox.com

11/06/2016

The Story of Stuff Project

Community minded people are needed to bring positive change to our lives, towns, government.

There are no small issues, only small minds. Grow big minds.

Are you raising a Changemaker?

03/11/2016

5 Reasons To Hire A Professional Organizer

A wonderful and simple explanation.

We’ve been talking about paper organization the last couple of weeks. But, I want to take a break from that and talk about some of the main reasons you might need to hire a professional organizer. …

01/23/2016

15 Kitchen Items You Need to Get Rid of Now

Snow days are the best time to de-clutter!!

09/10/2015

Wall Street Journalist Backs Right to Repair

Don't be too fast to toss that broken machine. There might still be life in it yet!

Geoffrey Fowler has a friend with a Samsung TV that inexplicably stopped working halfway through a movie. Geoff’s friend thought she had no other option than to replace it. Geoffrey—a writer with Wall Street Journal—wondered what it would take to fix the flat screen TV. And so, he went down the repa…

07/23/2015

4 big recycling myths tossed out

When clearing out a whole house, a garage or just sending out the weekly trash, here are some thoughts to help our Earth.

No, "blue bins" are not what's causing America's trash problem.

07/09/2015

National Suit Drive

So, for all my friends who know how to cull their closets during the off season, here is another donation resource for you. This one is time sensitive, so take note. http://www.menswearhouse.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentAttachmentView?contentName=MW4ABTnsdHome.html&catalogId=12004&storeId=12751

The National Suit Drive benefits at-risk men transitioning into the workforce. Donate your gently used professional attire and give a man the chance to transform his life. Learn more at www.nationalsuitdrive.com.

07/06/2015

Abandoned couches all over campus on move-out day? No more, thanks to these students.

The very best thing that will result from these amazing student lead programs is that when they graduate and move through the rest of their lives, at home and on the job, they will be mindful of each and every thing they dispose of or have removed; making the best choices available to keep excessive waste out of landfills and re~using as much as possible. The younger population is SO much more enlightened than the old. I thank the entire pantheon of gods for them, these bright, Earth minded people..

These UNH students were sick of seeing piles of trash around campus. Their group spawned a nationwide zero waste campus movement. Now they want to go digital.

07/05/2015

“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned." Benjamin Franklin.

06/01/2015

The App That Identifies Plants from a Picture

Understanding what you have growing is key to organizing your garden beds. This new tool can help immensely! https://www.finedininglovers.com/blog/curious-bites/plant-net/

A new app developed in France will help people identify certain plants and flowers by simply taking a picture with an app on their phone.

05/10/2015

Getting rid of 1000 things | Liz Wright | TEDxBedford

This is a wonderful short talk. Please enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T33vGEPL-wg&fb_action_ids=10206680186988476&fb_action_types=og.shares&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B789970111095977%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.shares%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Liz realised that she spent a lot of time, money and resources buyi...

05/08/2015

8 Reasons Successful People Are Choosing to Wear the Same Thing Every Day

Spring closet clean out time!

Those who adopt minimalist principles in their wardrobe choices are discovering more productivity, less stress, less distraction, less expense, and more peace.

04/29/2015

Living well in the ‘stor-age’

Living well in the ‘stor-age’

Living well in the ‘stor-age’ 0 By Craig Springer on Fri, May 1st, 2015 Features First there was the Stone Age, followed by the Bronze Age. Now we’re into the “stor-age.” And it’s a pervasive problem — a lack of storage in the home. Even two-car garages aren’t big enough to hold more than one car fo…

02/15/2015

Professional organizers take stress out of decluttering

I LOVE what I do for people.

A hodgepodge of stationery, envelopes, labels and staplers cluttered the cabinets and countertops at First United Methodist Church of Orlando last week.

01/08/2015

Peter Walsh Helps a Family with 15 Kids Get Organized

Troy Kirschner says, "Did you know NAPO - National Association of Professional Organizers has chapters all across the United States that can help you with your unique Organizing project! www.napo.net" Believe him.

Is getting organized at the top of your New Year\''s resolutions list for 2015? Don\''t miss the eye-opening moments and tips that result when Peter Walsh helps a family with 15 kids organize their home. Want to take part in...

09/03/2014

35 Smart Things to Do With $1,000 Now

35 Smart Things to Do With $1,000 Now

These moves can make you smarter, healthier, happier—and richer.

06/25/2014

Fear not the judgment of an organized person

Fear not the judgment of an organized person

This recent Huffington Post article may ease the minds of those whose hearts fill with dread when an organized person visits their home–apparently re-arranging your kitchen may not be the first thing on their minds. What An Organized Person Thinks…

01/09/2014

FSW | The Sharing Shelf

On Wednesday the 15th of January our local NAPO group will be helping out at The Sharing Shelf in Port Chester, NY. We will be helping to pair up outfits to be donated cost free to children in need throughout the area. Neighbors helping neighbors.

NAPO = National Association of Professional Organizers. Yes, I am a proud member!

The Sharing Shelf is located at 47 Purdy Avenue, Port Chester, NY (near Costco & the movie theater) Here is their link: http://www.fsw.org/our-programs/the-sharing-shelf

Please consider this fine organization when purging out~grown children's clothing, volunteer if you have some time or donate some extra funds to help our local young neighbors. Making a difference is so simple in this complicated world.

Have you ever stared at your daughter in her favorite pink dress, a size too small but still in perfect condition and wondered who will wear it next? What about those denim shorts your son wore all summer, but are still rugged and blue? What will you do with all those picture books now that your chi...