I                 Valentine’s Gifts that Don’t Take Up Space in Your Closet

Looking for ways to show that special someone that you care this Valentine’s day? Pink and red clothing covered in hearts is fun for the day but….now you have to find space in your closet to store it so you can wait a whole year before you wear it again! My top picks for a lovely Valentine’s Day without added stuff in the closet (that may or may not be loved by the recipient)

·      Gorgeous flowers in a favorite color- not red!

·      Decadent, top quality chocolates hand selected

·      Dinner at the best French Restaurant in town (bring items #1 and #2 for fireworks)

·      A wonderful cocktail together

·      A neighborhood walk followed by hot chocolate spiked with Bourbon Cream

Cathy Van Volkenburg CPO®

Accent on Organizing

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2017 – Let’s Get Organized!

By

Certified Professional Organizer

Cathy Van Volkenburg CPO®

With 2017 in full swing, many people put “Getting Organized” at the top of their list.  It is exciting to find inspiration on Pinterest , houzz and other fun websites. As a Certified Professional Organizer and Design Consultant for The Container Store, let me give you one big piece of advice as you begin your project. Don’t go to the stores and buy containers and bins first! Many people are tempted to buy pretty storage containers and all kinds of cool looking products before they begin the process of organizing. Save purchasing until the very end of the process for the best results.

Steps to Maximize Efficiency in Any Space:

What is the end goal? Less stuff? Quicker Identification?

Gather Like Items together

Sort and Purge:  Duplicates? Unloved items? Broken items, ill-fitting clothing? Donate, trash or sell!

Create Zones for Remaining Items: Every day items get front and center stage, less used go high or low

Containerize – bins for out of season, bins for loose items like socks, shoe boxes for less frequently worn items. Buckets for toys…

Evaluate and maintain

Only after you have gathered like items together can you possibly make decisions on what you have. When your 35 silk blouses are together in a category, and you notice that 12 of them are black, you may want to donate 6 of them that you never wear! Suddenly you only need space for 23 blouses instead of 35.  Now you are on the right track for maximizing efficiency based on what items are serving your lifestyle right now.  Good job!  Now treat yourself to some pretty products that will make your space attractive and easier to maintain.

This process applies to pantries, kid’s toy areas, garages and more!  AFTER you have gone through the above process, you will be able to purchase containers that make sense for the quantities that will be stored. 

Final tip for maintaining the system you have worked hard to organize:  Use clear containers so you can see what is inside OR use LABELS so you can find what you need in a snap!

My favorite labels: Smead Poly Pockets

http://www.staples.com/Smead-Self-Stick-Poly-Pockets/product_SS1020860

 Use blank business cards for labels that can be changed easily and seen from a distance! Comes in many sizes! Stick ‘em on and go! Find what you need quickly- save time!

Cathy Van Volkenburg CPO®

Accent on Organizing

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"Spark Joy" A Certified Professional Organier's Review

“Spark Joy” – A New Way to Say Goodbye to Clutter

Marie Kondo’s latest book “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up” is a fascinating perspective on clutter control.  The KonMari tidying method is based on understanding what items spark joy in everyday life.  The book opens with instructions on how to hone your sensitivity to what brings you joy.  The core of her decluttering strategy is to only keep the items that spark joy. Her detailed directions help the reader follow the clutter busting program carefully and in sequential order. Ms. Kondo explains the difference between cleaning and tidying.  She says that “Tidying is the act of confronting yourself; cleaning is the act of confronting nature. “

 Contrary to the methods used by many organizers today, she encourages people to touch their items and hold them close to “feel” if an item sparks joy.  Her sequence of sorting always begins with clothing and then proceeds to books, paper, miscellaneous and finally, to sentimental items.  Instead of organizing room by room, she instructs the reader to gather all items in one category and sort them.  All clothing in the house is gathered in one room and sorted as a category.    As daunting as this may sound, it forces one to really be sure all clothing is accounted for.  No piles left untouched!  For those who have lots of clothing, this session could be a marathon! 

Ms. Kondo likes to store items based on what they are made of.  Paper files, stationary and books create the category of items made from trees. Her sensitivity to how the product is created allows her to thank the item for its service when she choses to let that item go.  This reverence for items reminds me of the teachings of Feng Shui which also gives inanimate objects a life-force called Chi or energy.  Thanking the item before discarding is a method that allows the person who is organizing to proceed without guilt when items are no longer needed or wanted.  Departing items can be given a second life with a new owner.

The Japanese attention to small detail and beauty is apparent in this book as Marie encourages her readers to have their drawers look like Japanese Bento boxes. “The bento (colorful and beautifully packaged lunch boxes) encapsulates Japan’s unique storage space aesthetics.  Key concepts include separating flavors, beauty of presentation, and close fit.”

The main part of the book gives illustrated examples of folding techniques so clothing will line up beautifully in drawers.  Marie likens folding clothing to folding paper in origami. 

The last quarter of the book gives tips on how to make various areas in the home feel joyful and welcoming.  “Spark Joy” provides a different way to view the organizing process.  Marie invites us to embrace and treasure the things we own.  When we truly value our belongings, we must take great care of them and involve them in creating a beautiful home that nurtures and delights.  Western organizers can glean some nuggets from “Spark Joy”.  Silently thanking items that depart from the home can only bring a nice sense of closure to the often painful process of sorting.  Taking the extra time to make a beautiful bento box drawer will hopefully encourage us to maintain that beauty and order and not toss items willy-nilly in a heap or over stuff our drawers!  All organizers have their unique way of helping clients find peace and order in their spaces. Ms. Kondo’s tidying method offers us a refreshing new way to say goodbye to the clutter in our lives.

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Starting 2016 with A Clean Slate

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Starting 2016 With A Clean Slate

January is passing quickly. And Mercury is no longer in Retrograde! * Come January 1^st, everyone gets bombarded with suggestions for goals for the New Year– lose weight, quit smoking and get organized! We bounce from the busy holiday season to the goal setting of an entire new year without any time to reflect and finalize various parts of our life from the past year. I offer a different approach to the standard goal setting scenario. Hopefully you have recovered from the holidays and you can now finalize 2015 and welcome 2016.

In Japan, the end of the year is spent cleaning the house to welcome the New Year.  Everything is spotless and items that are no longer needed are gone from the home and office. The New Year now has space for new opportunities!  In Western cultures, most of us are busy with the traditional year-end holidays and all of the work that goes with the busy season.  I am proposing that January be the month to cleanse and detox from 2015. We can set goals only after we have tied up loose ends and said goodbye to the previous year. How do you do this? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

·      Take any decorations that you didn’t like or use in 2015 and let someone else enjoy them. Why store these unwanted items only to unpack them again next year?

·      Finish up any little nagging details from your desk area including moving finished projects to the appropriate location ( file, digital archive or trash!)

·      Send that card to your grandmother that you’ve been meaning to do for 3 months

·      Get rid of any clothing you don’t love and free up space so you can actually see what  you have

·      Return those library books that keep accumulating fines

As you move around your home, you will find more of these small cleansing rituals that will allow you to put 2015 behind you and create space for 2016.  It is hard to make any goals or plans for a new year if you still have unfinished business from the previous year.

Once you have finished with 2015 why not do a  “super clean” throughout your home.  If this seems daunting, hire a cleaning service to kick -start your fresh beginning.  Often you can find reputable companies offering a 3-4 hour package with several associates working together.  In an afternoon, your home will shine!

Now you can add a bouquet of fresh flowers and welcome the opportunities of 2016!

Happy Fresh Start to 2016!

·      What is Mercury Retrograde?  Read more here:

http://www.ibtimes.com/what-mercury-retrograde-astrologers-time-miscommunication-technology-breakdown-also-1929461