The thought of getting ready for the holidays can be enough to take the joy out of what is supposed to be a time for family, friends, for some, spirituality and of course great food! But, getting everything off of the to do list in time can be a daunting task as it seems the stores and our peers start preparing earlier and earlier each year.
Often many professional organizers point out that the best way to get your house in order is to plan an event. If you are the sibling that has to host Thanksgiving at your house this season, don’t look at it as a ton of work, but a blessing to kick your family into gear to get everything in your home the way that you would ideally like it.
My first recommendation to lower holiday stress is to make lists. It seems very basic, but some people don’t look at the big picture early enough. I recommend taking a journal or a notebook and setting up a series of To Do lists on various topics surrounding the holiday season. For instance you may need a list of people you are buying gifts for, a list of people to send holiday cards to, a gift idea list, a party/holiday meal list for ingredients and supplies or a list of what gets done before guests arrive at the house. There are even online websites that can help provide templates to help you such as www.organizedchristmas.com. Products are also available which help you map out your holiday gift giving and ideas.
If you have trouble following lists, hand them off to someone who doesn’t. While this may seem like a luxury that many people don’t have, you may be surprised when you have mapped out a plan how easy it is to find people to help get parts of it done. Involving every family member in the planning will help everyone get on the same page to get the house prepared in time. Consider asking a loyal babysitter to do some errands for you this holiday season or hiring a professional like me who can quickly organize your holiday card contact list into printable labels.
In addition to delegating, I suggest trying to do as much as possible without leaving your house. Whether it is using a service like Stop & Shop’s Peapod to order the groceries you need for the holidays to be delivered right to your house or shopping online for your gifts, you can eliminate a lot of the frustration that holiday shopping can bring. Starting now is critical not only because you will be done earlier, but it will ensure that you don’t pay higher shipping costs to get packages delivered on time.
While being stressed is never pleasant, the good thing is that you are being signaled to act early. The most important organizational tip I can leave you with this holiday season is to plan now and get as much done as you can by early December. If you do you will be more relaxed and will be able to enjoy the most important times with your family.
Kristin Mastromarino is a professional organizer at Livable Solutions, LLC (www.livablesolutions.com), owner of The Organized Lifestyle retail store (www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com) and is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). You can email her your questions at kristin@livablesolutions.com.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Holiday Decorations -- Collecting and Organizing
The holiday decorating season well underway with Halloween, and I see a lot of my clients failing to utilize the decorations they already have in your house. Especially as the economy forces many of us to maintain tighter budgets, it is important to be even more aware of where we may be wasting money. Over buying decorations and losing them in your house can be a quick way to throw away money.
Over and over again I see people storing an abundance of holiday decorations with no clear system to find them. It is wonderful to be festive every year, but collecting the items and actually displaying the items are two different activities.
It is important to first evaluate what you actually have. Now is a great time to begin pulling out the seasonal items before the rush of the holidays overwhelms you. If you find you are wandering all over the house to uncover all of your holiday treasures, that may be the first signal you need a better system.
As you sort through the items you should note the following:
· Do you have each holiday separated by theme? (i.e. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Easter.)
· Are there broken, torn or damaged items that just got shoved in a box at the end of last season?
· How many items still have price tags and were never used?
· How many decorations haven’t been used in years because they are outdated or don’t fit in with your home’s décor?
Once you have answered these questions you will have a good idea what should be purged and what should be kept.
Creating a system for storage during and after the season will also help you maximize your utility of these items. It is important to choose one area of your home whether it is a closet or a corner of your basement or attic to store your decorations so you always know where to go to find them. Choose containers that are clear or color coded for the holiday to easily find them next season. Stackable lidded containers will work well for most items. There are also specialty storage boxes, and bins on the market for wreathes, ornaments, and fake trees, which will provide the proper protection for off-season storage.
By clearly labeling and storing these items in one area you have much greater success of creating a go to spot when you are ready to decorate. But, it is also important to note, that while it is smart to shop at the end of the season for next year’s decorations, if you find yourself buying more than you use just because of the price tag, you are probably wasting your money and time. In addition, you are making the decorating process much more overwhelming and frustrating when you have too much to find.
Keep it simple this season by prioritizing your favorite pieces, only re-packing what you used in a clearly labeled storage system and limiting the shopping spree for new decorations.
Kristin Mastromarino is a professional organizer at Livable Solutions, LLC (www.livablesolutions.com), owner of The Organized Lifestyle retail store and is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). You can email her your questions at kristin@livablesolutions.com.
The holiday decorating season well underway with Halloween, and I see a lot of my clients failing to utilize the decorations they already have in your house. Especially as the economy forces many of us to maintain tighter budgets, it is important to be even more aware of where we may be wasting money. Over buying decorations and losing them in your house can be a quick way to throw away money.
Over and over again I see people storing an abundance of holiday decorations with no clear system to find them. It is wonderful to be festive every year, but collecting the items and actually displaying the items are two different activities.
It is important to first evaluate what you actually have. Now is a great time to begin pulling out the seasonal items before the rush of the holidays overwhelms you. If you find you are wandering all over the house to uncover all of your holiday treasures, that may be the first signal you need a better system.
As you sort through the items you should note the following:
· Do you have each holiday separated by theme? (i.e. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Easter.)
· Are there broken, torn or damaged items that just got shoved in a box at the end of last season?
· How many items still have price tags and were never used?
· How many decorations haven’t been used in years because they are outdated or don’t fit in with your home’s décor?
Once you have answered these questions you will have a good idea what should be purged and what should be kept.
Creating a system for storage during and after the season will also help you maximize your utility of these items. It is important to choose one area of your home whether it is a closet or a corner of your basement or attic to store your decorations so you always know where to go to find them. Choose containers that are clear or color coded for the holiday to easily find them next season. Stackable lidded containers will work well for most items. There are also specialty storage boxes, and bins on the market for wreathes, ornaments, and fake trees, which will provide the proper protection for off-season storage.
By clearly labeling and storing these items in one area you have much greater success of creating a go to spot when you are ready to decorate. But, it is also important to note, that while it is smart to shop at the end of the season for next year’s decorations, if you find yourself buying more than you use just because of the price tag, you are probably wasting your money and time. In addition, you are making the decorating process much more overwhelming and frustrating when you have too much to find.
Keep it simple this season by prioritizing your favorite pieces, only re-packing what you used in a clearly labeled storage system and limiting the shopping spree for new decorations.
Kristin Mastromarino is a professional organizer at Livable Solutions, LLC (www.livablesolutions.com), owner of The Organized Lifestyle retail store and is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). You can email her your questions at kristin@livablesolutions.com.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Purses Get Organized with the Purseket
When your purse is overflowing it is hard to find what you need. How many times have you dug in your pocketbook to find your phone? This purse organizer gives you easy pockets to line the inside of your purse so finding objects quickly is a breeze. It also helps you transfer your pocket books quickly without having to reorganize everything every time. Visit the Organized Lifesytle Store, www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com for more information.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Busy Moms Get Organized with the Mom Agenda
Keeping track of schedules when you are a busy mom can be difficult. One of my favorite products to help busy moms is the Mom Agenda. The Mom Agenda creates a simple system to track your own schedule and has rows underneath your schedule to track each of your kids activiites. In one portable place you can know where each of your family members is supposed to be. In addition, there are sections in the back of the Mom Agenda which list birthdays, addresses, help you with party planning and more. The Mom Agenda retails for $39.99 and can be purchased at The Organized Lifestyle Store (www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com). Call for more information at 203-458-7674.
Monday, March 10, 2008
More Spring Cleaning Tips from Livable Solutions
Simplify your cleaning supplies. Many times I see people with cleaning supplies overflowing under their kitchen sink, filling up a linen closet on the second floor and spilling out into bathrooms. If you pull out all of the cleaning supplies and look at them collectively you can start to see many duplicate items, empty bottles and old supplies that haven’t been touched in years because they were buried in the back pile. Remember too many choices can be just as bad as too few.My suggestion is just keep the basics.
Most houses can be cleaned with window cleaner, a multi-purpose solution, a tub and tile cleaner, bleach, toilet bowl cleaners, dusting polish and a good floor cleaner. Be careful not to fall into the trap of buying all the newest products without throwing out some of the old ones that haven’t worked. Cleaning is so much easier when you only have a few choices to deal with and one central location to grab them. Inventorying supplies is also a cinch because you will quickly see when items are running low. You will save money, space and avoid overbuying items you don’t need.Easy access to your cleaning supplies will also make it much easier to grab what you need and get the job done.
Paring down supplies will allow you to have a kit that you just pull out when you are ready to straighten everything out. Put your most essential supplies in a bucket that you can take from room to room. Make sure your vacuum is not jammed in a closet that makes it so difficult to get out that you never want to use it. Items like mop and broom holders mounted inside a closet, basement or garage wall can also make these items easily accessible and more appealing to use.
Spring cleaning time is here and there is no better time to put these items in order so you can breeze through your responsibilities and begin enjoying the warm weather in your free time.
Most houses can be cleaned with window cleaner, a multi-purpose solution, a tub and tile cleaner, bleach, toilet bowl cleaners, dusting polish and a good floor cleaner. Be careful not to fall into the trap of buying all the newest products without throwing out some of the old ones that haven’t worked. Cleaning is so much easier when you only have a few choices to deal with and one central location to grab them. Inventorying supplies is also a cinch because you will quickly see when items are running low. You will save money, space and avoid overbuying items you don’t need.Easy access to your cleaning supplies will also make it much easier to grab what you need and get the job done.
Paring down supplies will allow you to have a kit that you just pull out when you are ready to straighten everything out. Put your most essential supplies in a bucket that you can take from room to room. Make sure your vacuum is not jammed in a closet that makes it so difficult to get out that you never want to use it. Items like mop and broom holders mounted inside a closet, basement or garage wall can also make these items easily accessible and more appealing to use.
Spring cleaning time is here and there is no better time to put these items in order so you can breeze through your responsibilities and begin enjoying the warm weather in your free time.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Home Organization Workshops
The Organized Kitchen
Do your cabinets take on a life of their own? Do you spend time searching for items or money on duplicates? We can teach you how to make your kitchen simply organized and functional.
Do your cabinets take on a life of their own? Do you spend time searching for items or money on duplicates? We can teach you how to make your kitchen simply organized and functional.
Taught by Professional Organizer Kristin Mastromarino
Tuesday, March 18, 20087-8 pm @ The Organized Lifestyle Store
or
Thursday, March 20, 200812-1 pm @ The Organized Lifestyle Store
Pre-Registration Required: call 203-458-7674
Tuesday, March 18, 20087-8 pm @ The Organized Lifestyle Store
or
Thursday, March 20, 200812-1 pm @ The Organized Lifestyle Store
Pre-Registration Required: call 203-458-7674
Cost: $10
The Paper Chase
Is your desk overflowing with paper? Old bills, piled magazines, junk mail invade our homes and officesat rapid pace. Learn tips and tricks to gain control of paper that is creating physical and mentalclutter in your life. Discover the different ways to file, discard and keep paper.
Is your desk overflowing with paper? Old bills, piled magazines, junk mail invade our homes and officesat rapid pace. Learn tips and tricks to gain control of paper that is creating physical and mentalclutter in your life. Discover the different ways to file, discard and keep paper.
Taught by Professional Organizer Kristin Mastromarino
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
12:30 -1:30 pm @ East Haven Chamber of Commerce's Women in Business Luncheon, The Village At Mariner's Point, East Haven, CT
12:30 -1:30 pm @ East Haven Chamber of Commerce's Women in Business Luncheon, The Village At Mariner's Point, East Haven, CT
For more information call 203-458-7674
Spring Cleaning Tips
Many of us fall into the trap of using our free time just to keep up with what is around us. I live in a small apartment by myself and I still find it difficult to keep everything in order! Throw in a family or a spouse that doesn’t care as much about keeping order and you could be saying good bye to your spare time just to get it together each week.
Most people do not have the luxury of hiring a cleaning service. And even those that do can do a great injustice to the house during the time between visits. Being as organized and as simple as possible in your home will help decrease the time and energy you must place on keeping everything clean and dust free.
One of the first things that I suggest is really simplifying your surface areas. The more small knick knacks, picture frames, candles etc. you have taking up your counters, bookshelves and tables the more you are going to have to clean. In addition to creating more surfaces to clean, too many of these types of objects in a space can create visual clutter that detracts your eyes from focusing on the beauty of the pieces.
Rotate your pictures instead of adding a new frame every time you want to show off a new photo. Put away candles that you are not currently burning. Focus on displaying pieces that have meaning and decorative impact on your room not just throwing things up on shelves because there is a space for them. By editing these small things dusting will be much easier and your room will feel more streamlined.
Most people do not have the luxury of hiring a cleaning service. And even those that do can do a great injustice to the house during the time between visits. Being as organized and as simple as possible in your home will help decrease the time and energy you must place on keeping everything clean and dust free.
One of the first things that I suggest is really simplifying your surface areas. The more small knick knacks, picture frames, candles etc. you have taking up your counters, bookshelves and tables the more you are going to have to clean. In addition to creating more surfaces to clean, too many of these types of objects in a space can create visual clutter that detracts your eyes from focusing on the beauty of the pieces.
Rotate your pictures instead of adding a new frame every time you want to show off a new photo. Put away candles that you are not currently burning. Focus on displaying pieces that have meaning and decorative impact on your room not just throwing things up on shelves because there is a space for them. By editing these small things dusting will be much easier and your room will feel more streamlined.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Welcome to the Livable Solutions Blog!
I founded Livable Solutions in 2003. After spending five years working on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. I decided my true talents were found in helping people organize their lives. In 2005 I brought my company back to my hometown of Guilford, CT.
Over the years I have performed various duties for my clients including: massive household purging, creating home filing systems, restructuring closets to make them more efficient, setting up spaces for home businesses, organizing packing for household moves, staging yard sales, selling, unwanted objects online, purchasing custom products for clients, and hauling unwanted objects to donation sites.
I am also the author of the column "Ask the Organizer" in the CT Shore Publishing Newspapers
I look forward to offering you professional advice tips and answering your questions through this blog.
Over the years I have performed various duties for my clients including: massive household purging, creating home filing systems, restructuring closets to make them more efficient, setting up spaces for home businesses, organizing packing for household moves, staging yard sales, selling, unwanted objects online, purchasing custom products for clients, and hauling unwanted objects to donation sites.
I am also the author of the column "Ask the Organizer" in the CT Shore Publishing Newspapers
I look forward to offering you professional advice tips and answering your questions through this blog.
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