Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Killing Two Birds With One Stone

We have a lot of books. They fill several large bookcases in our "Library", which is technically the formal living room. We bring new books in but almost none go out. I'm OK with the idea of only owning as many books as will reasonably fit on the shelves. Limiting ourselves this way would force us to refine our collection over time.

My husband, historically, has disagreed with this approach. So over the last five years that we've had these bookshelves in this house, I've been trying to shoehorn the new books in and maintain our categories and alphabetization.

With clients I propose that they keep a book only if they loved it so much that they will re-read it (or reference it somewhat regularly) or recommend/loan it to a friend. This usually works.

Not so much with my husband. He wants to have everything we've ever read so that if and when we ever have a kid, there will be plenty of material to recommend, read and discuss. He held this position even before he read in the book Freakonomics that kids turn out better when books naturally accumulate in their home (because the parents actually enjoy/crave reading). This future-kid will have to have a life that lasts beyond the normal averages to read all these books in his/her lifetime. If Ray Kurzweil's (whose books are on the husband's xmas list, by the way) "singularity" happens in 2020 or whatever, maybe there will be time. And what if the kid doesn't want to read only sci-fi, horror, feminist fiction, Harry Potter, Roald Dahl and Dr. Seuss?

I understand the concept of having a great library for the kid, as long as it fits into the already-defined, generous storage space.

So, this week we happened to make a breakthrough. We had to come up with gifts for one hard-to-buy-for person--the rest of the gifts had already arrived from Amazon. While trying to A) stick to our xmas shopping budget, for once, B) avoid the mall, C) and avoid paying for any expedited shipping charges, he had the brilliant idea of giving this person books from our collection. This was a bit of a jump forward for me (the person who has bought and loaned out at least four copies of Laurie King's The Beekeepers Apprentice just so I could make sure everyone I know has read it), knowing that we don't intend to replace them in our collection immediately, but maybe down the road if we feel strongly enough about them. I like it. And it felt pretty good--even more personal than if we had just bought new copies.

Now I just have to go and find more room in our non-fiction section to file Freakonomics, once I've read it, and the probably-forthcoming Kurzweil stuff.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Answers to Some Commonly Asked Organizing Questions

A reporter contacted me to provide some content for a local magazine. Here are some answers to her questions.

Where is the best place for homeowners seeking to become more organized to start?

Real self-starters may want to utilize tips from Real Simple magazine, their web site or email newsletter or from the OnlineOrganizing.com web site or email newsletter. Reading tips from these sources regularly provides homeowners with a constant feed of information to build up their organizing knowledge. These folks can then figuratively "step back" and analyze the organizational challenges in their own home and implement new systems after sorting, purging, and categorizing.

Other folks, those who have a library of books about how to organize but have not been able get organized, would be served well by utilizing an organizing consultant. Some folks just learn organizing skills better through one-on-one personal interaction. Scheduling time for organizing and getting personal help for organizing projects from an objective person, someone who does not live or work in their space, is the magic combination for some homeowners. Professional organizers can be found at the NAPO-NC web site in North Carolina, or the NAPO web site , nationally.

What are some quick and easy tips to become more organized?

* Schedule time to organize. Then, reward yourself after you keep that appointment.

* Set a manageable goal for each organizing session so that you have a finish line in mind. For example, clean out and reorganize one bathroom drawer.

* Organize at a time of day (or night) when you have the most energy and mental focus and the fewest distractions.

* Do whatever helps you stay on track: play music, get a friend to help, turn off your phone and email, plan a reward for yourself.

What are some common mistakes homeowners make when trying to organize their homes?

The single most common mistake that I see is clients buying containers or organizing gadgets at the beginning of the project. Purchasing these should be the next to last step in your project, following the sorting, purging, categorizing, evaluation of habits and design of systems, but just before the final implementation of the new system of which your purchases are a part. I understand how seductive the display windows at organizing stores can be but we must wait to buy until the time is right. Often, we'll find usable containers during the initial sorting process. These can be repurposed later for the new organizational system.

The other mistake I see is that people don't have realistic expectations. I understand that by the time people call me for help they are very frustrated and are hoping for a quick fix. Getting organized has a lot more to do with changing the way we think and changing our habits than putting our stuff in bins and labeling them. Changing our habits takes a lot of time and persistence. We are more successful if we chip away at the problem than if we hit it with a sledgehammer.

What are some of your best tips for organizing the different areas of your home?

* Most kitchens have come down with a case of gadget-itis. Unused kitchen tools and appliances that only perform very specific tasks take up precious space. Besides, most cooking could be done with only a knife, cutting board, a pot and chopsticks.

* Separate grooming tools and cosmetics into categories like lips, eyes, whole face, nails, fragrance, tweezers/clippers, and put categorized items into the small drawers of an apothecary chest.

* In the office, place stacking, horizontal paper trays near your printer. The only good use for horizontal trays is holding your paper stock, separated into categories like plain paper, photo paper, letterhead paper, holiday paper, sheets of printable labels, etc. Remove all packaging from the paper before placing it in the trays.

* Kitchen pantries are best served by shallow shelves (10 inches deep or less) that have adjustable height. This way, you can see everything you have and only stack items 2- or 3-deep. And you won't knock over the cereal while reaching past it for the chicken stock. Put food that you always keep in stock in uniform, clear containers, like Tupperware Modular Mates, and label them. Establish zones for snacks, baking, canned goods, drinks, etc. Remove as much packaging from items as possible before putting them away in the pantry--6-pack plastic rings, boxes that contain smaller boxes, shrinkwrap, etc.

* In any room match the size of the container to the size of the objects that go in it. Small items will get lost in a large deep drawer without any dividers.

* Install a clothes hanging bar in the laundry room so clothes can go directly from the dryer to hangers. Each family member's closet should have a valet rod where clean clothes can be hung temporarily while each item is put away in the correct zone: pants, tops, jackets, etc. When a garment is worn, place its empty hanger on the valet rod. On laundry day, carry all the empty hangers to the laundry room. Repeat.

What are the current trends in organizing in your area?

The North Carolina chapter of NAPO, of which I'm a member and on the board of directors, has recently put a campaign in motion for "green" (eco-friendly) organizing. As a group of organizers we are trying to heighten each others' awareness, as well as our clients' awareness, of the importance of recycling waste created in the organizing process, repurposing items that may have a new use within one's organizing plan, donating or freecycling items that are still useful to others who need them, reducing junk mail, and in my case, driving a hybrid car so that I don't create so many emissions while traveling from client to client.

Are there any new products on the market that make home organization easier?

Organizing product manufacturers are constantly evolving their product lines but there are few specific products that I consider to be must-haves. Instead, I think simple guidelines work the best for most people.

*Use sturdy, clear containers.

*Purchase an inexpensive label maker that has refill cartridges which are widely available. Or even more simply, use white labels in varying sizes from the office supply store and write legibly on them with a black marker.

*Always store papers in a vertical position, whether it is in hanging files or in a desktop vertical sorter.

*Use a single centralized information center to keep track of your calendar, contacts, note-taking and task lists--this could be a traditional paper planner, a PDA, a computer program or web-based solution.

*Avoid the least expensive wire and laminate shelving systems; in our area Schulte closets, available from Just Hangin' Around provide the best value, in my opinion. They are neither the most or least expensive.

Other well designed organizing products that I get a kick out of can be costly and I can usually help my clients improvise with less cash outlay. But, I do like Legare office furniture, IKEA closets, which are sadly, only available by mail order in our region, and MO office products.

I Didn't Actually Not Blog Last Week

Really, I did write a really long post about how people process information and then act (or don't) on it.

But I learned my lesson about not saving a draft (I was too focused on sorting out my ideas and attempting to describe them). The power surged and I found out the hard way that my UPS had died, presumably the battery is toast, shutting off my machine literally seconds before I was about to click "Publish".

I don't usually look to the universe for signs but I think I wasn't meant to write about that topic yet. I did spend a long time trying to make it make sense. So it's probably for the best.

I'll come back to it when I have more clarity on the subject.

Friday, December 1, 2006

Space Cadette on Space Bags

A client asked me an organizing question recently and I thought I'd share my response with you.

She asked: You know those bags that they have that you can put your clothes in and then vacuum out the air - do you think those are really useful or not so much? We have so many old random t-shirts that my husband refuses to get rid of, and I was thinking that maybe this would be a useful way to store them.

I replied: Space bags are great for some purposes and not for others. For storing old t-shirts that are sort of memorabilia, it is a good idea. Should you ever open the bag, the shirts will be somewhat wrinkled so if this matters, take it into account. Also, make sure the shirts are washed or not dusty before you pack them up.

Space bags are also good for bulky linens or pillows that are used only occasionally, like when guests come. I don't recommend them for storing seasonal clothing because that means twice a year when you open the bags everything will have to be pressed or washed and dried to get the wrinkles out. Bulky sweaters would probably be OK because the fibers will sort of re-puff on their own.

When you vacuum out the air, press down on the puffy spots in the bag as you vacuum so it will end up in a flat, uniform shape. Keep in mind where you will store it when choosing whether to use a few small bags vs. one big one. They have space bags that hang so you could hang it in the corner of the closet (I've also thought about using a regular space bag with a strong clip hanger to do this).

It is possible that your vacuum nozzle won't fit the vacuum port exactly. I've had one case where the person's attachments were a little too wide in diameter because you have to have a good seal between the nozzle and the rubber gasket on the one-way valve. If this happens to you it's likely that your neighbor's vacuum will fit. You'd think vacuum nozzle sizes would be standardized, wouldn't you?

Finally, the cheapest price right now is at Costco, a 14-pack for $25--but you may only need 2 or 3--split a box with a friend who has a Costco membership? Everywhere else they seem to be $5 - $10 each. The second best bet seems to be using a coupon at Linens'N'Things or Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Are you on their mailing lists? They send out 20% off coupons all the time and they don't actually expire and can be used interchangeably at the two stores.