Organizing from the Inside Out

“Organizing is the process by which we create enviornments that enable us to live, work, and relax exactly as we want to. When we are organized, our homes, offices and schedules reflect and encourage who we are, what we want, and where we are going.”

Julie Morgenstern

Testimonials

N.M. Tampa, FL

"Thank you for rescuing me from the enormous task of clearing out my cousin's house. I was truly at the "end of my rope" when you agreed to take on the challenge! You tackled a very problematic job with energy and enthusiasm. You seemed to take all the difficulties in stride. I especially appreciated the fact that I could completely trust you to deal with my cousin's possessions as you would have dealt with your own family's. I will certainly recommend you at every opportunity. You can be sure that if we have need of your services again, "

N.J. Tampa, FL

"Over the years, I have used what I call the “stash and dash” method of getting my home ready for guests. I would cram papers, etc into bags or piles, then stash these into cupboards, closets or under beds, as I dash from room to room making each place look presentable. Over time, I’ve accumulated so much “stuff” in these hidden areas that there is not room for more. The clutter was spilling out into the tidy areas! Enter Susan’s Organizing Solutions. She wasn’t kidding when she said she would help me “get control of my surroundings”. She is helping me get organized and create order, but more importantly, to get peace of mind. I can never thank you enough, Susan."

SOS is a Proud Member of:

CABA

Organizing Tips

“What’s Cooking? - Tips For An Organized Kitchen”

Assess everything in your kitchen – appliances, gadgets, bake-ware, hand tools, etc.
Do you really use them?  Do they still work?  Are they easy to use and to clean?  Do you
have more than you really need? Does the ________ really earn its keep in storage?

  • Stop Buying More “Stuff”.  You don’t need a different gadget or appliance for everything you do in the kitchen.
  • Don’t keep clutter.  If you really don’t use something – it is time for it to go.
  • Store Like Items Together.  Store items into zones, such as baking items, storage items spices, serving pieces, etc.  This follows the general rule “a home for everything”.
  • Pantries.  Put things away in categories, such as dry goods, cereals, pastas, canned goods;  small items or packets go together in clear plastic containers.  Turntables oftentimes work just great in pantries.  Tiered risers for canned goods also work nicely.
  • Junk Drawers.  Everybody has one – but try to keep things separated and contained within small boxes or dividers.  Checkbook boxes often work well for this.  The point is to clean it out every so often and get rid of the miscellaneous REAL junk!
  • Clear Your Counter Tops.  Try and limit the appliances that are out to 3 that you use regularly.  Keep only a small notepad, pen/pencil holder and letter box for mail near the phone.
  • Clean That Refrigerator.  Every other week try and clean out your fridge.  Throw out the items that have gone bad or that are almost empty, etc.  Do it before you shop to help prevent buying unnecessary items.  Plan your menus for an entire week.
  • Clean Out Under the Sink.  Keep a product caddy with commonly used cleaning supplies.  It can easily be carried throughout the home.  Or, many times a large 18” turntable is great for those under the sink items offering  great accessibility.
  • Pull-Out/ Drawers or Bins.  Install a pull-out drawer, if possible, for accessibility in cabinets or use a basket or bin as a drawer, to get better use out of the back space in a cabinet.

Look Into My Closet - Susan Layden

If you are longing for an organized CLOSET with which to start your days out right – effortlessly picking out an outfit – shoes, shirt , skirt or pant - the story is the same.

Get rid of all things that do not belong in your closet. Your closet should house clothing, shoes and possibly accessories, NOT toys, tools, baby equipment, things with which you’re not sure what to do, etc. Get out a trash bag and a donate box and do some sorting and purging. You may have spent good money on those clothes, but things do go out of style, our bodies do change, never to be quite like they were and some things that looked good once, just do not look good on us now. We have all bought things on impulse that we should not. Just because you have it, does not mean you have to keep it.

Again, be DISCRIMINATING - TRY THINGS ON – only keep those things that you really like, look good and make you feel good in them. That is what you will wear. There is a statistic out there, we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. If you cannot even see what you have, what good is it to you? Go through your shoes the same way. Make sure you actually have pairs and that they fit and are still in style. Put all your accessories (belts, scarves, ties, etc) together. Keep only what you truly like. Just because it was a gift – you do not have to keep it forever. The book Dress For Success still holds a lot of truths. When we look good and we feel good in what we are wearing, we exude confidence.

Let go of the things that no longer work for you and that are cluttering your closet and your life.

Put all categories together - suits/skirts/ pants/ shirts/blouses/ tops, etc. Shirts/blouses should be put together by color and by sleeve length – so you really see what you have in each category which will make it easier to put outfits together and keep you from buying things you already own.

Color-coding is particularly useful to help you see how many duplicates you have in your wardrobe and how little you need to purchase of similar items in the future.

If you have a lot of clothes with the tags still on them – they are not bargains, as you have not even gotten your money out of them. Consider donating them or get rid of similar older items and start wearing the new.

Read Susan Layden's past Organizing Tips here.