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A Tribute to my Mom Dorothy “Babs” Tawney July 1923 – April 2020   My mom taught me how to be a Professional Organizer before the profession even existed. She was one of the most organized people I know. She had a routine for everything. Until the confusion of dementia took over she kept her…

Amanda has called Nikki a hoarder many times.  She has seen the TV shows and her house doesn’t look anything like the places they show, but she’s curious.  She’s worried that she could become a hoarder. In her research Nikki learned that hoarding is classified as a mental illness.  As she continued browsing she found…

While she was looking for a PO to help her, Nikki found out that there were different types and levels of disorganization.   Now she’s doing more research to try to figure out what type of disorganization she has so she can find the best Professional Organizer to help her. For some people, disorganization is…

Nikki has decided to hire a Professional Organizer to help her with her clutter. Now she has to find the best person to work with. POs just help you get rid of clutter, or at least that’s what Nikki thought. When she browsed through several web sites that list Professional Organizers as members, she was…

For months Nikki’s neatnik friend, Amanda, has been offering to get her organized.  But Nikki has decided she needs some professional help with her clutter.  She’s ready to make changes in her lifestyle and get rid of some of the stuff that has been holding her back.   Now she has to find a PO to assist…

In case you haven’t read the “Intro to Nikki’s Organizing Journey” blog post, I’ll recap the cast of characters: The characters in this odyssey are Nikki and her family, husband Mark, and two children Amy and Ben.  Nikki’s best friend is Neatnik Amanda, who you’ve probably been reading about. Elizabeth, that’s me, is Nikki’s Professional Organizer.…

Aunt Sue was your “fun Aunt.”  She always said, “Aunties are supposed to spoil their nieces.”  She used to take you for ice cream when you were little. When you got older she was always willing to try anything you wanted to do.  She was always willing to listen, and she never told you what…

Amanda is after you again about organizing the whole house in a weekend.  You know you can’t possibly do that.  You just can’t make decisions that fast, and you can’t do what you used to before your surgery.  You know you’re getting better, but you get tired more quickly now.  You’re not going to tell…

Well of course the food at Amanda’s party was fabulous; she got everything from a caterer.  Amanda hates to cook.  When you throw a party, the best part is making the food, because cooking is so much fun.  Now you understand why Amanda’s kitchen is always organized; she doesn’t use it.  Your kitchen is full…

Wow, Amanda throws a great party.  Everything was perfect.  The food was yummy, and it looked great too.  Of course, Amanda’s house was immaculate.  You can’t believe she actually showed off her closet.  Those blue and white boxes make her closet look so elegant and organized.  It looked like a magazine ad.  You wish your…

Amanda says all you do is procrastinate.  She keeps telling you, “Just get started and get it done.”  The more you think about it the more you know Amanda is right.  You do procrastinate about organizing. Why can’t you get motivated about organizing?  Even when you try it seems that things just get worse.  The…

Make a life changing resolution this year.  Everyone makes resolutions, whether they are formal, written goals, or just ideas in our heads.  Most of the resolutions we make are to do or not do certain activities, i.e. eat better, exercise more, or, my favorite, get organized.   This year how about making a resolution to…

Next Christmas will be much easier if you organize your decorations as you put them away.  Take a few minutes now to save time and frustration every year from now on. Taking down and packing away Christmas decorations is a chore most of us dread.  As a Professional Organizer I have some great organizing ideas…

What is the best gift anyone could ever receive?  It’s something no one on earth will ever get more of.  It has the power to create memories that will last forever.  It is the gift of time. As a professional organizer I help people clear the clutter out of their lives.  Much of it is…

Where will you put those new holiday decorations when the season is over?  It’s so tempting to purchase new decorations each year.  That new reindeer would look great on the mantel, wouldn’t it? Before you buy something new ask yourself where you’re going to put it come January.  Do you have extra space to store that new…

Save time, money, and your sanity over the holidays.  Here are my tips to make your holidays full of love and joy: Make a budget and stick to it.  Don’t forget to include any charitable gifts you’ll make at year end.  Keep a copy for next year, so you have a starting place. Schedule shopping…

At this time of year when we stop to think about our blessings, I want to share some quotes about gratitude.  I hope they will inspire you to live every day full of thanksgiving. “If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, it will be enough.”—Meister Eckhart “It is the…

Last weekend’s attempt to get your papers organized was a real disaster.  Then Amanda started in on you again.  “Why can’t you just do it? When are you going to organized, instead of making bigger messes?  I think you don’t want to get organized.  You want to live in this mess the rest of your…

While you were at Amanda’s house, you were all fired up about getting your house organized.  Saturday you vowed, “I’m going to get this place organized if it’s the last thing I do.”  You get up early and decide you’ll start with the paper clutter on the kitchen table.  So, all the clutter from the…

Amanda keeps harping about getting one of those hideous dumpsters.  She says the two of you can get the whole place cleaned up in a weekend.  The thought of working on organizing for an entire weekend makes you kind of woozy.  You keep thinking, “I can’t do things that fast.  I need time to make…

If Amanda’s said it once she’s said it a hundred times, “Just get rid of all this stuff.”  What she doesn’t understand, but a PO does, is that your stuff is important to you.  Okay, you know you probably need to let go of some of it, but not everything—lots of it is good stuff. …

Your neat freak friend, Amanda, keeps telling you she will help you get your stuff organized just like hers.  So, what’s the difference between Amanda and a Professional Organizer? You know what Amanda thinks about you and your clutter.  She’s told you a hundred times, “You need to get organized and get rid of all…

Welcome to Nikki’s Organizing Journey, a fictional account of a client’s trip from chaos to an organized home.  The episodes will be posted frequently, so check back often to follow along. The characters in this odyssey are Nikki and her family, husband Mark, and two children Amy and Ben.  Neat freak Amanda is Nikki’s best…

Most people don’t think about how their clutter is affecting their health.  Housework is much more difficult to accomplish in a cluttered house.  As a home gets more cluttered, cleaning may be so difficult that it can’t be done at all. Most of us have some piles of stuff waiting to be dealt with.  Who…

Clutter costs you in space.  A cluttered home has no room to do things, whether routine, or fun things like hobbies.  Treasured items like photos and mementos have no place to be displayed and get lost in the chaos. When clutter spreads, it leaves you no space to relax.  A cluttered, chaotic environment has no…

Are you spending money to store your clutter?  Storing anything costs money, but storing clutter is a waste of money. If you rent a storage unit, what’s in it?  Is it full of old things you don’t need?  Have you filled it with boxes of stuff that don’t fit in your house because the house…

Clutter costs money, a lot of money.  Clutter has cash costs such as late charges on unpaid bills that got lost in the mess.  I have even known a person to write the check, put it in the envelope, stamp it, then put where it would be seen and remembered to take to the Post…

Clutter costs time.  Time is the most precious resource you have.  You can get more money and more stuff, but we will never get more time.  Is clutter robbing you of this absolutely non-renewable asset? The most obvious time cost is the time you spend looking for your keys, sunglasses, cell phone, and ID for…

Working with a professional organizer is a bit like working with a personal trainer.  You need to trust them and feel comfortable working with them.  Asking the questions below can help you find the right organizer for you. Do you specialize in residential or business organizing?  You wouldn’t want a podiatrist doing your dental work.…

How do you know if you need to hire a Professional Organizer? Here’s some questions to ask yourself: Do I know how to get organized? Have I always been disorganized? Have I been organized before, but don’t know how to get organized again? Am I overwhelmed when I think about organizing? Do I know where…

As a Professional Organizer I can help you get your stuff, your space and your time organized. What I won’t do is: Judge you. Clutter is just clutter, not a character flaw. Tell anyone about your clutter. My lips are zipped! Make you throw everything away. You will make all the decisions about what to…

As a Professional Organizer I can help you develop systems to organize your clutter and teach you how to keep your spaces organized. An organized home will help you live a more peaceful and productive life. What I Will Do Support you as you learn how to evaluate your belongings, your space and your time.…