It’s freezing, it’s snowing and it’s dark out. Don’t look at this in a negative light, look at this as an opportunity! Use the time indoors to begin your clearout for a clean Spring!

Sit down with your family and make a plan. Go room by room and decide how you are going to clean, organize and declutter for the warmer months! The warmer months are very popular for renovations, remodels and moves. I encourage you to start small to get into the groove. Once you’re in it it becomes fun and easy to do! 

Whether it is an annual spring cleaning, moving or starting a home renovation, we can all start to plan with a little bit more confidence. Over the past week, I had two clients getting ready to start a major home renovation. One was adding an addition to the home and one was reconfiguring their current layout of their place. In both cases, my team and I had to pack up their belongings.  

That’s why if you are planning any type of renovation, always think about the end result. How you tackle it on the front end will determine how much you get to enjoy it on the back end. Not to mention how much easier and stress-free your life will be. Trust me. 

If you are remodeling it is very important to pack up and properly seal your clean items. Dust manages to find its way EVERYWHERE in a move or renovation and by taking extra precautions you can keep clothes, tablecloths and anything else fabric CLEAN.  

By taking these steps before you are saving yourself from a LOT of trouble in the coming months. Preventing added stress is very important when going through a remodel or move. 

I cannot stress enough how important clear, sealed, labeled bins are! Labeling your sealed containers makes setting everything back up when everything is done very easy! So easy you can get the kids involved. 

Unpacking can be very overwhelming. With proper labeling you will be able to empty boxes quickly and efficiently. One box in, one box out. Simple as that. So, let’s all get excited for the little things this upcoming spring! Cleaning, renovations, moving, the fresh air and warm temperatures… and hopefully a return to normalcy with social gatherings! 

I must say, this time of year is always so cheery! The holidays put me in the best mood and give me extra energy for productivity. The holiday season is here and it’s time to bring out the decorations, declutter the house and prep the space for out of town visitors and holiday events. 

Did I overwhelm you? I hope not, this time should be enjoyable! If I did, let’s break down step by step how to get the house ready. 

To begin, let’s take a look at your day to day life around you. Is there clutter and things stacking up? First things first we need to take care of this! Ditch the junk mail, file any important bills and papers and put things back in their homes. By getting rid of the clutter you’re making space for decorations and who doesn’t love decorations! Like I discussed last month about creating a storage space in your garage for decor, before you even go to get it this step is important! Doing these cleanouts seasonally sets you up for success every time!

Once you’ve removed clutter, purged and organized it’s time to clean. Get the entire family involved and clean the space as a holiday event! Delegate tasks to different members of the family and set up a plan. Know what needs to happen before the next task. You can’t mop until you’ve vacuumed, those kinds of things! 

Now that you have a clean slate, get out the decor and start decorating! This is such a fun event for the family. The decoration process is super exciting especially in a clean space where creativity can run free! 

Make this a priority, now! Don’t wait. Make sure to give us a call, we would be more than happy to be there for you every step of the way. Enjoy the cooler seasons!! 

Well… aren’t we all feeling a little bit more “normal”? 

The sun has been shining, the temperatures have been rising, and slowly but surely places are beginning to reopen. Saying it feels incredible is an understatement. I actually feel as if I can see a bright future waiting for us right around the corner.

I’ve been reflecting a lot on where we were a year ago today. For a lot of my clients, they were getting ready to move or had construction set to begin last spring. Obviously, it all got interrupted- pushed back by months and months. This spring, however, things are set to look and feel  a bit differently. 

Whether it is an annual spring cleaning, moving or starting a home renovation, we can all start to plan with a little bit more confidence. Over the past week, I had two clients getting ready to start a major home renovation. One was adding an addition to the home and one was reconfiguring their current layout of their place. In both cases, my team and I had to pack up their belongings.  

One client was remaining in the home while the other had to move out during renovations. However, there was a constant in our conversations about the experience, and that is, “dust seems to find its way everywhere.” Whether the direct area is being affected or not, dust travels throughout the home during renovations. That’s why it is important to pack up all areas within the home. Your aim: leave surfaces empty. 

For my team, when we started packing up the obvious areas within the home, we quickly realized there were even more areas that needed our assistance. Dust. Was. Everywhere. 

That’s why if you are planning any type of renovation, always think about the end result. How you tackle it on the front end will determine how much you get to enjoy it on the back end. Not to mention how much easier and stress-free your life will be. Trust me. 

And yes, chances are you will have a cleaning crew come in and clean surfaces… but, if you have a bunch of stuff that was left out, odds are they will become rusty and the cleaning crew will skip over these items. Their job is to primarily clean EMPTY surfaces. 

My suggestion is by packing up your clean items, you will inherently keep them clean during construction, and your newly renovated home will feel that much better. Here are some suggestions you may not have thought about…

• If any closet is not being touched, you can keep your items hanging, BUT slip large garbage bags over your hanging clothes. Think of the cleaners as an inspiration. This way it keeps the dust clear and your items can stay in their home without having to  pack them up.
• In terms of the kitchen, with any exposed shelves, or glass front cabinets, take the time to pack up those items. The glass will surely get dusty and you will need to empty the items anyway. This will ensure you have a clean space to enjoy when the construction is complete. 
• If you are storing your boxes on site, ask your builder to drape the boxes with a plastic tarp. Undoing dusty boxes is not fun.  It should feel exciting to unpack your long lost friends and put them in your newly renovated space. Don’t make it more difficult (or dirty) than it needs to be. 
• A super important tip is handling your countertops! No matter where the construction is, clear your countertops and either pack your items or store them in cabinets. 

By taking the time to complete these steps upfront, you are allowing yourself to really prepare for this renovation, and ultimately allow the entire experience to go beautifully (with as little stress as possible!) Because of this, you will enjoy the newness of your remodel that much more. One thing I can promise you is that you will be extremely happy that you planned ahead and didn’t just throw stuff in boxes, or not pack entirely. 

And finally, as you may have guessed, my last piece of advice when packing up, moving, or remodelling is….LABEL LABEL LABEL!  The more specific you are when you label your boxes, the more you can ensure that you are unpacking the right boxes in the right rooms, at the right time. And when you’ve got boxes EVERYWHERE this is an immediate time saver. Don’t just label “master bedroom”, “kitchen,” and “living room.” Instead, list some of the main items in the box. For example, “Kitchen: dishes, silverware, cups.” 

Unpacking can be very overwhelming. With proper labeling you will be able to empty boxes quickly and efficiently. One box in, one box out. Simple as that. So, let’s all get excited for the little things this spring! Cleaning, renovations, moving, the fresh air and warm temperatures… and hopefully a return to normalcy with social gatherings! 

Happy Spring and love to you all. 

Happy New Year!

January is Get Organized (GO) Month. This is the month to be dedicated to raising awareness to the benefits of getting organized. Go it alone, or think about hiring a professional organizer who has the ability to enhance the lives of his/her clients by creating individualized systems and processes, which can help people get organized.

Back in 2005, the Association of Professional Coordinators decided that they wanted to increase awareness of the significance of organization and the value of employing a professional organizer. Studies show that individuals waste up to an hour every day on average, searching for things that they’ve misplaced. As such, The Organize Detroit staff agrees with the sentiment and we all can stand to benefit from getting and staying organized.

Year after year, getting organized is one of the top five New Year’s resolutions; making January the ideal time to “Get Organized.”

Spring is a long time off, so now is the the perfect time to hire someone to come in and help you achieve all of your organizational dreams!

Start by writing down your new year home goals. Once you’ve listed everything out from organizing the closet to clearing out the garage, mark off what things are your top priorities. Once you know your top priorities you can have an expert come in and help you knock these tasks off of your list!

While January is Get Organized Month you do not need to knock out your entire list in 30 days. This month is perfect for starting somewhere and bringing your new organizational skills into every other month of the new year. Make quarterly plans to have an expert come into your home and help you achieve those goals!

Tell us how you plan to get organized this month!

Now that we are settling into a back-to-school/work-from-home balance, we are a bit more able to see what works (and what doesn’t) in our home. It can be stressful having to run a school and a business all from the comfort of your couch. However, it doesn’t have to be!

Believe it or not, organizing could very well be the solution to many (if not most) of your problems. It is always important to have structure, especially for the little ones. In order to combat COVID-19 from the working home, it is essential to maintain a healthy learning or working environment for every member of the house.

That’s why, this month, we are choosing to focus on organizing our workspace – whether it be professional or educational.

Kids Space

Right now, you’re playing many roles in your child’s life: parent, entertainer, and now, teacher. Going to school from home is HARD! Especially when you are battling challenges like lack of focus and creating a school within the home. Trust me, I get it! That’s why instead of trying to make them learn on the couch or the dining table, bring the classroom to them! Revamp a space in your home that isn’t getting a lot of attention and make it their desk. Have them be part of the decision process for where their learning area will be.  This is important for the younger kids. Once the area has been decided, the next step is clearing out the area.  Just like we do with any area , starting with a clear space is always best.  You don’t need to clear a whole area, just an area for their work space and putting away their stuff at the end of the school day.

With a little revamp, comes organization and that’s why we’re here for you! I am a big fan of clear plastic bins, and think they are by far the easiest way to store items in groups. I often use magazine holders for my clients in their home offices and catch all areas.  Your child’s learning space is now their home office.  A magazine holder stacks vertically, which is always more pleasing and easier to manage that a horizontal stack.  Weather it is a plastic bin or a magazine holder, finding your system is a great way to teach organizational skills. Depending on the age of your kids, don’t over do the organization bins.  Too many can also be difficult and make it tough to maintain.  Start with less and add in as the kids determine what is needed for each class and their daily online learning.  Just as important as the area to do the studying is, is the area to clean up at the end of the day.  You and your kids should make an area that can used to put away the supplies at the end of the day.  You and your kids don’t want to be staring at their classroom all day.

I am also a huge fan of envelope and mail organizers. By keeping these nearby or placed on your child’s desk, you can keep a command center for your child’s weekly progress. Have them turn in assignments or keep key paperwork like online school passwords located here. It will be easy to find, and easy to return. Don’t forget to make this space fun! Decorate it like a mail center and teach your children how to send and receive mail – from home!

Creativity and organization will keep us sane through this upcoming school year. Be sure to go through these areas often to keep it clear and organized. But, it’s also important to take care of yourself and your professional space as well, which is why we wanted to highlight key ways to keep your professional life chaos-free!

Work Space

Once you have the kids settled, it’s time to focus on your work. At least, that’s how I imagine morning routines to go, at least in my house. Maybe you have a desk already, or you are having to create a makeshift one. Whichever it may be, organization is a must!

Again, clear bins and magazine organizers are your best friend. I keep all my folders in my magazine organizers – on a bookshelf or sitting on my desk. Here, I place all important paperwork or client/project information. Clear bins are great organizers for past paperwork or excess supplies.

Another idea is, take cloth baskets and bins and place them on bookshelves or desk compartments. A lot of our desk clutter can be discarded, donated, or reused in a new way. I highly recommend going through all your things before organizing. Pull everything out, so you can really see what you have. Sometimes we need things at close proximity, but it is unflattering to the eye. That is why cloth bins are a necessity! You can get creative with designs, colors, or sizes. Luckily, you can find them, along with clear bins and mail organizers almost anywhere! Some of my favorite places being Target and Bed Bath & Beyond.

For more of a visual, I’ve included the products below:

Bed Bath & Beyond Cloth Baskets 

Target Magazine Holder/Organizer

Target Clear Pantry/Organizing Bins

We’re here for you! We love to hear feedback, suggestions, ideas, or services you may need. So give us a call today.