Getting Started is the Hardest Part of Organizing

When clients call me in desperation, I hear things like "I don't know where to begin" and "I am overwhelmed." Once clutter gets out of control, it can be a little more than we can handle and that is why I started my business. I wanted to be able to help people live life to the fullest and hated seeing them paralyzed by their clutter. .

One bit of advise I have for tackling an overwhelming task is to just get started and then it all begins to look clearer. Don't over-complicate the task, but just do what you can. I like to encourage clients to get started by grabbing a trash bag and collecting anything they can quickly identify as trash - junk mail, newspapers, old magazines, fast food containers, broken items, etc. Then, grab another bag or box if fragile items and collect things that you no longer need to donate. Put that bag directly in your car and drive to the nearest donation center. Just doing those two simple tasks can create space and make organizing the things you are keeping easier. It begins to look clearer when the excess clutter is removed.

Each time you hit a road block, take a deep breath, relax and work your way through the road block - don't give up. If you continue to get hung up, that is when you need the help of a professional organizer. We have been able to organize a space in 4 hours that a client has struggled with for years. When a project is more than we can do our on own, we need someone to come beside us and enable us to accomplish our goals. We would be honored to be that person.

Holding onto Treasures

What are you holding onto that is hard to let go of?

I recently visited my parents in Orlando while at a conference. I was staying in my childhood room and in the closet was a box labeled "Cathy's Horses" (my mom is more organized than I am). I asked her why she still had those and she said "because they are yours and they are worth something." As sweet as she was to store them for me, I hated that she was feeling responsible for my things. After all, I am encouraging her to simplify!

I didn't think they were worth much, but I decided to check it out. I went on eBay and there were tons of Breyer Horses out there, most of which were not selling and if they did sell it was for a couple of dollars. I decided to take a picture, ask my daughter if she wanted anymore (she has picked out some for herself in the past) and put them in a box to donate. I took them straight to the donation center along with some other things my mom and I had sorted out while I was there.

It was sad getting rid of that collection that I loved so much. However, I did not need them any longer and I just imagined a little girl who loves horses like I did as a child walking in the thrift store excited about the treasure she had found. They are much better in her hands than in my mom's closet.

What are you holding onto that you need to let go of. Think it's worth something? Check it out to see if it is. If it is, you may want to sell it and pocket the cash while it is still worth something. If not, you may be discouraged but at least now you know. If you no longer want it, pass it along to someone who will enjoy it.

Selling Your Clutter - How to get some cash for your clutter

I am constantly being asked by clients how they can get some cash from the things they no longer want. The bad news is, the market is not what it used to be. That rug that was appraised at thousands may only be worth hundreds because things are only worth what the market will bear. The good news is there is a new way to sell things to make sure you get the best price for the items you no longer need.

Estate sales or yard sales can be effective tools for selling but sometimes the work involved to set up and price everything is not worth what you make. Practical Solutions is exploring a new local online auction option where items bring the most the market will bear using a company called Max Sold. It works especially well for those who are moving and have about two weeks after they vacate for us to stage and host the sale.

We are using Max Sold to host a trial sale to see if it is a good option for our clients. One of our long-time employees is retiring and downsizing her own home so she agreed to be our guinea pig. Here's how it works. Practical Solutions helps clients sort through their belongings and stages what the client chooses to sell. Max Sold's staff then comes in to photograph and list the items for the online auction. The auction opens and bidding begins. After the auction closes, those who won the bid are notified and have a window of time where they pick up the items they purchased. 

It seems to be a great way to empty out a house and make some cash while doing it. Those selling their items have the opportunity to preview the auction items before the sale goes live to make sure they approve each item in the sale and can watch online to see how their sale is going.

If this seems like something you might be interested in, take a chance to see how it works. We will be sending out a link to the site when it goes live next Friday, May 8, 2015 so make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter to receive up to date information. 

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One Step Away From Being Organized

My college-aged daughter sent me a text that said "Thanks so much for teaching me One Step Away From Being Organized. I just wish my roommate understood it." One Step Away From Being Organized was something my children heard a lot growing up when they got close to putting something away, but didn't make it all of the way. Each time I said it, I would get an sigh and their shoulders would slouch as they went back to put it away the right way. I am quite sure they didn't like hearing it so it is nice to know my first child is learning to appreciate those lessons.

Getting organized is difficult. Staying organized is even more difficult. Even when items have a home, they must always be put back there or soon chaos reigns again. It's so easy to just get close to putting it away because you are busy, saying that later you will somehow miraculously have more time and be able to put it away properly. It doesn't take but a few seconds to take the time to put something in it's place. However, if you don't take these seconds to put it away properly, you will spend minutes and maybe hours looking for something because it is not in it's place. You may even find it is easier going to the store to buy another, creating more clutter problems.

Take that extra step to stay organized!

Creating a Welcoming Environment

The Four F's of creating an environment where a senior can feel at home

Moving at any age is difficult, but the older we get the more difficult transitioning becomes. At Practical Solutions we like for the client to feel like we waved a magic wand and everything magically went from one house to the other and landed in exactly the spot where it had lived for years. Of course, it is never that easy and requires a lot of pictures, notes, boxes, paper, label, tape and sweat to make it happen. A client will never realize that we remembered to put the alarm clock on the same side of the bed that it was on in the new house, but they sure will realized it if we do not. All of this hard work is worth it all when they are able to walk into their new space and feel at home. 

The new home environment needs to be:

• Friendly - It is important that they move into a neighborhood or community with like-minded individuals that share similar interests. I have seen clients who have been home-bound for years thrive in community living and live a much more rich life.
• Familiar - If possible set up furniture in a similar way where their path to the bathroom at night is familiar and their dresser drawer are arranged as they were in the old house. Create familiar sights, sounds and smells as these also help the senior feel at home.
• Functional - After living for years in the same place one is on autopilot and functions without thinking. As you arrange and unpack, think of how the other person will function in the new environment. Ask where they will go to look for a certain item. This is especially important if memory issues are present.
• Forgiving - Things usually cannot be placed exactly where they were in the new home so make sure the new home is forgiving with soft corners, free of rugs to slip on, furniture without wheels and clear walkways. Most of all, family and friends need to be patient and forgiving as they may express frustration as they deal with change. If they get angry, sad or frustrated, do not take it personally but ask yourself what is causing it.

We love providing stress-free relocations and thrive on taking care of all of the details so that the person moving can relax and concentrate on taking care of themselves.  We would be honored to have the opportunity to quote you or a loved one on an upcoming move.

Clear the Clutter in Your Kitchen

Homes look much more organized when the surfaces are clear and clutter-free. It also makes preparing a meal much easier so that you are more likely to eat healthy and less likely to each convenience foods. Check out this video to learn how to organize your kitchen counter-tops so that they are clean and ready to prepare healthy food.

Good Enough! A Story of One Who Overcame Perfectionism

We last spoke about how perfectionism can hold us back from accomplishing all we would like. We had been working with a client who is in her late 70's and battles perfectionism and Attention Deficit Disorder. She has researched her entire career to write a book, but hasn't written a page yet because there's always more to read and study in preparation for writing. When working in her office, we were able to clear the clutter and create a space where she can focus on her work. We also taught her the concept we teach many of our clients -- "Good Enough." Perfectionists are hung up on having to do everything perfectly and "Good Enough" teaches them to do the best they possible can and get it done. Most importantly, they learn that things do not have to be perfect.

A week after our session, she shared with me that she had begun writing her book. She had the chapters mapped out and reorganized her research by chapter so that the writing would be easy. She is finally empowered to write her book so that now she can share all of her life's work with others. We are so excited for her and hope others will learn how to give up perfectionism and focus on reaching their goals.

We would love to hear your story about how you have overcome your organizing hurdles.