Houzz.com

One of my clients directed me to Houzz.com the other day and I may have to guard against addiction! If you love to look at houses, interior design and/or organizing ideas like I do, you will totally get into this site.

....I'm drooling over the office space ideas as I blog.....

When you sign up for a free account it allows you to create Ideabooks and upload photos. I have a feeling I am just getting started!

This page is loaded with the fun organizing ideas that inspired me to blog today. Check it out!

Busy Bee Organized Has Moved to Utah!

You many have noticed it has been quite some time since I've posted on my blog. I've been a very "Busy Bee" reorganizing my entire life these past couple months! As many of you already know, I have recently relocated my life and my company to another state. It has been quite an adventure! At first I wasn't so sure I could do it. I love Virginia so much that the thought of leaving my home, my friends, my Busy Bee clients and all those beautiful green trees that I love so much was so sad. However, because we have kept our home in McLean with the hopes of returning someday, I am planning to fly back to Virginia to work with clients every three months at least for the next year. I'm very excited about this plan! I look forward to providing ongoing quality service to my wonderful clients who have made my career as a Professional Organizer so enjoyable and worthwhile. As I build my business here in Utah (also known as the "Beehive State"--how perfect is that!!), I hope to enjoy the same success that I was so blessed with in Virginia. On to a new chapter in my life as an organizer! I can't wait to unpack my boxes! I'm actually serious! :)

When Organizing Isn't Enough

As a professional organizer I believe that our environments should reflect who we are, what we value and our current life goals. Sometimes we get bogged down and find ourselves feeling "stuck" in life. Sometimes it's our clutter and stale old things that clog our minds, our schedules and our homes. If we let it, our stuff can steal away our peace and keep us from living in the moment and moving toward the direction of our truest and most fulfilling life goals.

As I've worked with client after client over the years to help them decide when it's time to finally let go of what's holding them back whether it's bad habits or a bad mitten racket they have never used (and never will) my ideas about organizing have evolved and changed.

A few months ago I began reading a new book that really addresses the change aspect of organizing. Change must take place on many levels for organizing to be successful.

Are you eager to make a change...but unsure what's next? Then read Julie Morgenstern's book When Organizing Isn't Enough SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life. In this book Julie walks you through a four step plan she calls SHED.

S-Separate the treasures--This is where you decide what is truly worth holding onto.


H-Heave the trash-What's weighing you down?


E-Embrace your identity-Who are you without all your stuff?


D-Drive yourself forward-Which direction connects to your genuine self?

Julie's 4 step plan helps you get unstuck and she talks about more than just throwing out your stuff. She helps you look at your life as a whole, determine your goals and where you want to go in life and then she walks you through the process of deciding what will support you along the way and helps you let go of the rest!

This book can help you get motivated to create real change in your life. If you read it and still feel like you need help moving forward call on one of the many Professional Organizers out there willing and able to help you do it!

For more information about Professional Organizers or to find one near you go to: www.napo.net

How to Recycle Anything

Recently I bought a new dehumidifier and as I stuffed the two big pieces of Styrofoam packing into a garbage bag I found myself wondering "Can I recycle this?" As it turns out I could actually mail them to a recycling center for such things in Richmond, VA (which I won't) but I'm always looking for ways to reduce what I put into the trash can. I ran across this Real Simple article today that I thought was great on what you can and can't recycling. It's definitely worth sharing!

I love this article! I'm sure you all will too.

56 Things You Can Toss Out Now

by Christine Kane

We hold onto our stuff for two reasons: Love or fear. We either love things. Or we fear letting them go. We cherish them and know they have value to us. OR... We fear that we'll need them someday. We fear that we wasted our money on them. We fear what others will think if we let them go. We even fear making the decision to release our mistakes, so we don't make any decision at all. Instead we passively hold onto stuff out of guilt. Well, guess what? When you begin to make choices from a place of LOVE and EXPANSION, then your world will change. Love is the clearest reason to do anything. If you don't love it, toss it. Give it away. Your abundance and energy will increase when you begin to live by love, and not by fear. Here are 56 things you can toss out (or give away) right now...

1. All the hotel key cards you forgot to turn it when you checked out.
2. The doilies your Aunt Missy crocheted 45 years ago that got handed down to you.
3. CD's you haven't listened to in three years or more.
4. The boxes of cassettes you've been meaning to transfer to CD's.
5. The bread maker you haven't used since 2003.
6. Your wedding dress
NOTE: You can say you've been saving it for your daughter, but here are three signs that your daughter doesn't want to wear it: a] she's already married and wore her own dress, b] she's been roommates with a woman named Pat for nine years, or c] you don't have a daughter.
7. Credit card bills from 1995.
8. The Allen wrenches from every piece of IKEA furniture you ever assembled.
9. The jacket you spent way too much money on and never wore. NOTE: Keeping it around just to punish yourself for your bad choices is like going to parochial school all over again.
10. Every scratching post or toy your cat doesn't like. NOTE: Your cat didn't go to parochial school so there's no sense punishing him.
11. House plants you no longer love.
12. The stacks of O Magazine you swear you'll re-read.
13. Every little zippy bag that came with a Clinique purchase.
14. Every unopened perfume that came with a Clinique purchase.
15. Leftover scrunchies in case you grow your hair long again.
16. The "Cherries Jubilee" flavored lip balm that makes you nauseous.
17. Every single regretful lipstick color you bought on a whim. ("Cherries Jubilee" is probably there, too.)
18. Your last four cell phones and all their chargers and blue teeth.
19. Single socks.
20. The Spode Christmas plates and mugs you don't like. (Along with the Christmas bath towels and welcome mat.)
21. The framed posters you had in your college dorm room.
22. Old stereo wires.
NOTE: If your husband refuses to let go of any of these mysterious wires, try this: Put them (not him!) in a bin and label it "Random Cables and Wires." After two years, bring it out of storage and kindly note that no one has thought about it in two years. Ask if it would be okay to let go of half of them. Repeat process until all mysterious cables and wires are gone.
23. The nails, screws, anchors, and cup hooks rusting in the bottom of your tool chest.
24. Remote controls that don't remotely control anything you own.
25. Lamps, toasters, blenders, coffeemakers that no longer work.
26. The notion that you will ever be one of those moms that makes beautiful scrapbooks.
NOTE: Put your photos in boxes. No one will judge you.
27. Old blankets and linens you keep in case you suddenly have 27 sleepover guests.
28. College text books
29. Any boring decorative item that does little more than fill space.
30. Vases you don't love or use.
31. Candle holders you don't love or use.
32. Picture frames you don't love or use.
33. Class notes from college.
34. The idea that you have to save every piece of your children's artwork and school work because it might mean you don't love them if you don't.
35. The "good silver" you don't use that was passed down to you.
36. Old VHS movies
37. Unlabeled VHS tapes. (And don't waste your time watching them just in case.)
38. The stationary bike that got even more stationary after you got it.
39. The fabric pieces you've been collecting in case you ever become a quilter.
40. Flashlights that dimly light up only after you bang them over and over on your thigh.
41. Old keys that open some door somewhere in the past.
42. Suitcases you don't use.
43. Old computers.
44. Old stereos.
45. Promotional duffel bags with ugly logos and bad acronyms stitched all over them.
46. Anything that makes you say, "But I got such a good price on it!"
47. Anything that makes you say, "But I paid so much for it!"
48. Half-full cans of paint.
49. Extra baby items/Old baby items.
50. Record albums. NOTE: Don't spend your extra hours in a day trying to figure out if someone will buy them. Really. They won't.
51. Gifts you never liked.
52. All the cross-stitch, knitting, or sewing projects you never finished.
53. Any glassware or dinnerware that is a "memorabilia" item from proms or sororities or sports events.
54. Old information packets you no longer need or that you can easily find on line.
55. All the hotel soaps that you took with you. (And stop taking them. You've got plenty of soap!)
56. The belief that you only have to go through the de-cluttering process once and won't ever have to do it again.

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her 'LiveCreative' weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

WANT TO SEE HUNDREDS MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?See Christine's blog - Be Creative. Be Conscious. Be Courageous - at ChristineKane.com/blog.

Organizing Teleclass--Open to the Public

I receive emails from NAPO regarding classes for organizers. Today I received one that is not only a great topic and open to the public but it's also only $19--you can't beat that!

How Long Should You Keep It?
January 28, 2009
8:00 PM - 9:30 PM EST
Teleclass (via telephone)

Description:

Learn the answers and more for the most asked questions in both the residential and the business worlds: How long should we keep it?

In this teleclass you will learn:
How do you determine if you should keep it?
How should you store it?
Liability and Compliance – Humm, what?
From the basics to the advanced, paper and information management is explored.
This class got rave reviews at the NAPO-Georgia conference so we are bringing it to the entire NAPO membership and others.

Presented by NAPO-Georgia Member Ann Damani – McKinney

About the Presenter:
Ann W. Damani-McKinney is the Founder and CEO of Conceivable Solutions, Inc., an organizing and efficiency firm that assists its business clients with information, computer, time, paper, space and procedure management through consulting and training.

Ms. Damani-McKinney has become an industry leader and sought after trainer and speaker. She has served many functions for both NAPO and NAPO-GA. She has served as the NAPO-GA Director of Professional Development for three years. In 2005, NAPO tapped her to develop a national continuing education class to teach the principals of business organizing. She is also a member of ARMA. She was a presenter on business paper systems at NAPO Conference 2007 and will be on a panel at the NAPO 2009 conference. Email: awd@csolinc.com


Audience: Open to Public

Fee: $19.00

For more information, go to: http://www.napogeorgia.com/events.php


Please visit the Events Calendar on www.napo.net

Clip It Up!

Is this a great invention or what?! This is something I have not seen until today. If you are a scrapbooker this is a great way to organize all those sticker sheets and embellishments that are so hard to organize.

I'm sure there are many other uses for it as well--I just haven't had time to think of any yet. I started blogging as soon as I checked out the website because I thought it was such a great idea.

It's called Clip It Up. It's a system for organizing scrapbooking supplies such as stickers and embellishments using clips on a rotating stand.

I do hope one of my scrapbooking clients or friends will try it out and let me know how it works (hint, hint)!

It's Time to GO! (Get Organized, of course!)

January is a great time to organize. Why? Because it fits right in with New Year's resolutions and plans for making 2009 your best year ever, that's why. There are so many great things going on during GO month. You can take advantage of the 30% off Elfa sale at The Container Store. Or look into hiring a professional organizer to get that tough organizing project you've been procrastinating off your mind once and for all. There are also lots of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) organizing events going on all over the country that you can check out too. No matter what you decide to do during GO month remember that getting organized is one of the best gifts you can give yourself this year. Whether you decide to organize a single closet or your garage just do the best you can! And feel free to call on me if you need some help reaching your 2009 organizing goals!

More stylish than Staples...

Sometimes you just need to get organized and it doesn't really matter what your paper tray looks like. However there are times when some stylish, fun, colorful organizing tools are just what you need to get motivated to keep things in order. For some fun ways to organize office supplies or just about anything check out the MacBeth Collection at themacbethcollection.com. A client of mine bought cute buckets and tubs for organizing her home office because she was going to be using them on open shelving to hold things like pens, pencils, ribbon, candy (every office needs candy!), extra office supplies and so forth. She wanted the visual display to reflect her business and her personality. Because she loves the way it looks she cares more about how it works--that happens sometimes! See, organizing is fun!

You can choose from all sorts of designs. I happen to like paisleys!

P.S. Sorry for not including links. I had to take them out due to "technical difficulties."

I want a messy house too...

...but only if Peter Walsh and the Oprah Winfrey show comes to my house and gives me a FREE organizing and decorating makeover!! How awesome would that be?

Don't you just love organizing shows? I do, I do! Yesterday, Oprah aired a show featuring organizing guru Peter Walsh who launched "Oprah's Clean Up Your Messy House Tour".

So I guess Peter Walsh is leading a convoy of VW bugs around the country for the next six months looking for messy houses to organize and clean up. I've considered messing up my house to see if he'll stop by...Yes, that's a fantastic plan!

Yesterday's show had some really great results (check out Oprah.com) and some fun ideas for displaying and preserving your children's art work. As an alternative to saving every piece of paper your child ever doodles on, take digital pictures of their favorite pieces and make a snapfish book out of them! How clever is that? To entice us all to give it a try, Oprah offered a free snapfish 8x10 photo book to get you started. But you have to move quickly since you have to get your coupon by Friday and redeem it by Sunday!

Oprah's website also has a link for a 20% off coupon at The Container Store which is good for one week. This offer ends Nov. 19th so check out your wish list and see what you need to help you get organized this week. I know I'm going to!

Even better, as part of this "tour" Peter Walsh is sending out a newsletter for the next six months designed to help you declutter. Follow this link to sign up and begin helping yourself!

Now, I have to get going--I have a house to clutter up! ;)

Your Busy Bee Organizer,

Melissa

Remembering to Recycle

In the course of any organizing project there is always a question raised about what is recyclable and what is not. I thought I would post a great one page sheet that I found on the Fairfax county website that helps you remember what is acceptable recycling material to put out on the curb come recycling day. Keep in mind that this information is for Fairfax County and your county may have different standards.

I'm going to keep my printed out cheat sheet near my trash and recycling bin as motivation to recycle more. I'm also going to go dig out the 6 metal cans I just tossed in the trash last night, clean them and put them in my recycling bin!

Picture Perfect Organizing!

I had the privilege of helping my fantastic photographer friend Virginia Payne organize her home office this summer. It was such a fun project (I think all organizing projects are fun!) and I was so excited when she offered to take the "after" pictures with her professional camera which, by the way, turned out so much better than the ones I took on my little red Nikon! To see a little bit of both our work check out this posting on her professional blog and for more information about Virginia Photography check out her website VirginiaPaynePhotography.com. She takes amazing photographs and is such a wonderful person to work with.

Introducing...The Busy Bee Toothbrush Holder!

This is so funny--I just had to post it!

It's the Busy Bee Toothbrush Holder.

Why didn't I think of that?!?

It actually has a little suction cup on the back so you can hang it on a mirror or in your shower. Tempting isn't it?

Vidcast: Refrigerator and Pantry Tips

If you are working on your refrigerator and/or pantry and want some great ideas check out this helpful vidcast from professional organizer Susan Stewart of Perfectly Placed.

Organizing Doesn't Have to Cost a Fortune

Although I love The Container Store as much as the next organizer, I am all about finding great organizing tools just about anywhere. Finding that perfect solution and finding it for a great price is just so rewarding! Last year I began receiving a catalog called The Lakeside Collection that offers a variety of household items for great prices. I even did some Christmas shopping with them last year and was happy with everything I bought. Recently, I was flipping through their catalog and found some things I thought were definitely worth sharing.

They protect their web images so you'll have to follow the links. Note the prices!!

Set of 3 Magazine Protectors for $6.95: I thought these would be particularly helpful for storing magazines in an attic or basement.

Set of 2 Woven Storage Trunks for $22.95: Cute and functional. They look really well made too.

5-Piece Space Bag Combo for $14.95: Just as a comparison, Bed Bath and Beyond sells a pack of 3 large, 3 extra-large and one jumbo bag for $39.99.

Closet Organizers for as low as 5.95 per set: You'll pay $9.99 for a set of two over the door purse racks anywhere else.

Set of 2 Canvas Storage Totes for $8.95: These are super cute for kids toys and stuff. They look like something the Pottery Barn sells.

I think you get the idea! Check out their website and happy hunting for that perfect and affordable solution to your organizing needs!

Fabric Wall Mount Magazine Organizer

I bought one of these a few months ago from The Container Store and just love it! I originally bought it for my kitchen to hold magazines I like to read while eating breakfast, but I recently transferred it to my home office to hold my Organize Magazines that I use for inspiration when working on projects. I decided to hang it over my supply closet door in my office from a couple of over-the-door hooks that I already had. It's nice to look at and because it's on my closet door it's not taking up valuable wall space in my small office. Has anyone else found a great use for this fun magazine organizer? I bought the brown one and the other colors are fun too! This style of organizer could be used just about anywhere you like to read magazines. I thought it could also be used to store office supplies, forms, paperwork, etc. in an office setting. Lots of potential!

Coupon Organizer

If you like to use coupons but don't have a good way of keeping them organized, you might like this product for organizing grocery coupons. For those of you like me who have found yourselves in a grocery isle wishing you had that coupon you left at home, or digging through your purse trying to save 50 cents this might help you put those coupons to use and save you some money. However, before you go to the trouble of organizing coupons (or anything) make sure you ask yourself if you really use coupons enough to make it worth organizing them to this extent. Some people need something as simple as an envelope because they only save and use a few coupons now and then. But if you use coupons regularly and need a better organizing system then check out Mrs. A's Grocery Coupon Organizer.

Just have to share this!

Isn't this the cutest hamper??

Maybe it makes laundry more fun...probably not--but it's still cute!

Busy Bee is Back!

Hi all,
Sorry I've taken such an extended vacation from blogging. To be honest, I started to feel like I was spending too much of my free time on the computer and my neck was telling me "no more!" I hope you'll forgive me! Spring is finally here in full force and I have been working on some great organizing projects in the last few weeks. Some with clients and some of my own. Saturday I cleared out some paint cans and some other "junk" from my own basement because our town home association arranged for The Junk Army to pick up junk in our development. It was such a great thing! They don't take flammable stuff (paint thinner etc.) but they do take latex paint which was nice. I just kept the paint colors we have used in the past few years and tossed a bunch that was here when we moved in three years ago. It felt great! I also recently rearranged and reorganized my little tool/garden shed a few weeks ago. I was reminded that it only takes about 20 minutes in a space like a basement, garage or shed to make a huge difference. So my advice is don't put those areas off because you think you have to do it all at once and that it will take hours of blood sweat and tears. Take 20 minutes and just get busy--and if you are working outside like I have been, watch out for the bees! Seriously, I know the experts are saying there aren't as many bees anymore--I think they must all be hanging out at my place!

What to Keep, What to Toss?

Do you absolutely dread paperwork and filing? When it comes to paper it can be hard to know what you need to keep, how long to keep it and what you can part with and most of us keep way more paper than we really need to. Not having a clear idea of what you actually need to keep can make you afraid to toss anything. It quickly piles up, fills up file drawers and becomes overwhelming especially if you don't have some basic guidelines and a schedule for paring down and keeping it in check.

I like to use tax time each year (just after I file) to do a major weed out paperwork that I know I no longer need. As a professional organizer I have researched and used various guidelines to help my clients (and myself) take control of paper piles and overstuffed files. I ran across a set of guidelines on The Container's Store's webite that is short, sweet and to the point. Keep in mind that these are general guidelines so check with your financial advisor if you have questions about your particular situation especially if it's complicated.

And if all else fails use colorful folders to make filing more exciting!