OK, I’m a little compulsive when it comes to order in my home, but not ALWAYS. Sometimes, I have to fool myself into getting things done. For example, yesterday I wanted a salad for lunch but that was too much work. But then I thought that if I needed 5 minutes to warm up the [...]
I used to try to do things perfectly and as a result, not much got done. OK, that’s not entirely true- I did go to college, got married, had kids and in general those things turned out pretty well. But there are a lot of things in life that I struggle to do perfectly, like [...]
It is the number one cry in America on any given morning. Without keys, your life stops. You are stuck in one place, racing against the clock and feeling your blood pressure rise. Every possible disaster is perched to pour down on you within minutes of the lost keys. You can rail against the idiocy [...]
OK, I did it again; I bought a new handbag. Do I have a problem? This question is up for grabs... Read more
I go through this every month “Clean up, company’s coming!” I run around the house in a panic, picking up all my projects, spending hours just putting away my stuff before I can clean the house or my husband can clean it (whose fault it is anyway, for inviting people over!) What’s the matter with him?! What’s the matter with him?! Every month, my husband invites people over for wine and cheese. Although I am a professional—I am like most of you and my house is not always perfectly organized. Read more
Memorabilia connects you to the past. If you have no direct connection to the object in question, then it becomes meaningless. Most people keep memorabilia from their parents, their childhood, and their children. How much do you keep, for how long, and then where does it go? Read more
Anything worth doing, is worth doing badly—at least to start. As a recovering perfectionist, I have learned to get started on a project, even if I don’t have all the pieces together. Sometimes just puttering, tinkering or moving the parts around will help me sort out my brain enough to give me an idea of how to tackle a project. Read more
Who says paperwork is not sexy?! This week, I was so impressed (and even charmed) by the paperwork and systems of a couple clients. I was even a little envious. When you keep things simple, it’s much easier to keep them organized. Envy is a signal for something that I want. I became a professional organizer because of envy, but that’s a story for another time. Read more
When I do run into a hoarding situation, I always refer those folks to a specialist. Usually the people I meet are in fact, pack rats or collectors, or years-long recipients of relatives’ stuff, and now they are stuck with it all. I did actually work with one couple in Amawalk a few years ago, who may have been displaying some hoarding tendencies, but it could have also been a combination of personal and professional pressures, and they used shopping as a way to soothe their anxiety. Read more
I didn't go to college to learn how to organize! If I'm so smart, then why can't I do this!? I used to be organized, until I had kids! That's what people tell me when I meet them for the first time. Usually, these feeling are expressed with some frustration and bewilderment. There's a couple of issues at play here. The first is situational. Many people are organized until they reach a critical mass of demands on their time. It's easier to be organized when it's just you, your stuff and your life. Read More...