Why the Container- Store Guy Wants to Be Your Therapist

Today in the Wall Street Journal (Personal Journal section) there was a great article on how some retailers are adopting therapy speak when selling file cabinets. Retailers are training their staff to offer more advice and make emotional connections to help customers buy shelves or sort sweaters. And some companies are even increasing their marketing products from folders to closets as items that can improve everything from your exercise habits to relationships.

It also touches on how the demand for professional organizers who usually come into people's home and can spend weeks sorting through junk and giving organizational advice is also booming. The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has grown to 4,000 members (I am a proud one!) from 2,000 in 2003.

The article quotes NAPO's president: "A professional organizer looks at the situation with a fresh set of eyes and we take their lifestyle and habits into account. They bring in an element of emotional support as well, listening to people who feel overwhelmed by disorganization or advising on time management."

I thought I just had to share some main points of this article. It really spoke to so many issues that we as professional organizers are facing. Professional organizing and working with people and their personal belongings really lends itself to instant intimacy with clients because questions and answers can quickly get personal. For example, you find out about a person's eating habits and talk about other personal things. Of course, professional organizers should and do keep all this information confidential!

Some of the tips the article offered for getting organized were:
- Discard any clothing not worn in TWO YEARS
- Keep a recycling bin near your mail so you can discard junk mail IMMEDIATELY
- Create a NOTEBOOK for articles and recipes so magazines don't accumulate
- Put bins and boxes on lower shelves to encourage children to PUT AWAY TOYS
- To get started organizing, put on your favorite must and tackle ONE MINI-TASK a day

For the article visit: http://users2.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=evo-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB117512669991252586.html%3Fmod%3Dtodays_us_nonsub_pj

Celebrate Spring’s Arrival By Organizing

Though spring may still seem to be a distant dream to us here in the Washington, DC area, it really is on its way. To celebrate spring's arrival, take some time to clear out clutter by doing a bit of spring organizing and de-cluttering. Here are some ideas to usher in spring and get you started.

1. De-clutter your house. Get into the mood of spring by clearing out any areas of clutter that are bringing you down. Think about doing a stuff “examination” throughout the house. Look at the things you have and ask yourself whether they're really useful, whether they really make you happy, or whether you really need them. The end result will be a home full of only things that are significant or of use.

2. Lighten your paper load. Spring not only brings sundresses and flip flops but also tax returns. It's a good time to sort through your files. If you don't already have a system for filing and saving papers you need to keep (think tax returns and home records), take the time to set one up. Whatever system you choose, be sure it's easy to add to and access as needed.

3. Clear out clothing. Instead of folding an oversize sweater or heavy coat that you didn't wear once over the winter and putting them away, consider donating or selling them. If you didn't touch them this season, chances are they won't ever be an essential part of your winter wardrobe, so now's a great time to let them go.

4. Enjoy the weather. Enjoy the nice weather while at the same time doing some outside organizing. This way, you can also be accomplishing something. Clean the garage and keep the garage door open while you're doing so, so that you can enjoy the nice weather. Gather your gardening supplies in one place.

5. Make organizing fun. You can’t think of organizing as a chore. Think of it as something that will make you feel “good” about yourself and your organized home. Play some fun music and get the family involved. Then, after you've made the effort to get organized, take time to celebrate. Whether you through a party for friends or enjoy your first watermelon of the season, take pleasure in the progress you've made.

There are few rites of spring more satisfying than the annual clean or organize. It's the perfect time to embrace living an uncluttered life. For many people, however, the pleasure comes only after the work is finished. Whether you are organizing your “junk” drawer or tackling your entire house, don’t hesitate to call in the experts. Rosey’s is there it help you get a kick start on your spring organizing projects.

Wedding Organization

Weddings, like most of life’s major events, are not overwhelming as
long as you are organized. As a former bride who planned a destination wedding, I am now sharing my unique and successful methods that helped me plan my dream wedding while also keeping a balance in my life. Life is busy enough juggling a professional and a personal life and adding planning a wedding on top of everything can be overwhelming. Whether a local or destination style wedding, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you are organized!

Rosey’s is now offering professional organizing and personal shopping services for brides and all others involved throughout the wedding process including the mother of the bride, mother-in law, bridesmaid, other family member and anyone else special. Rosey’s services are different from those of a wedding planner because we will work with you hands-on to manage all the little details of your wedding organizing-from save the date lists to the important documents you need for your honeymoon and don’t want to forget. We will help you set and accomplish goals faster than you can on your own, so there is an achieved balance throughout the entire process.

Where do you begin or what do you do once you have figured out all the “big” items like the place, band and wedding coordinator? With Rosey’s guidance, professional organizing and personal shopping, we will to help you realize your wedding day dreams!

An example of the services that Rosey’s offers include:

Organizing for the bride:
- Time management solutions for planning a wedding and working full time
- Combining and organizing two households-from clothing to finances
- Organizing solutions for your office or home

Organizing for all the little details:
- Invitation Lists & Responses for all celebrations throughout the year
- Schedules for all days throughout the wedding weekend
- Shipping and Packing Lists for out of town weddings
- Honeymoon Packing Lists & documents for before & during honeymoon
- Lists for Gifts Received and Thank You Notes Sent Out

Shopping for the bride & others special to her (mother, bridesmaids, etc.):
- Engagement Parties - Bridal Showers - Honeymoons
- Rehearsal Dinners - Wedding Brunches

Shopping for all gifts:
- Bridal Shower hosts - Bridesmaids - Parents - Groomsmen - Other special people involved in the wedding


Don’t wait to contact Rosey’s to start getting organized for your wedding. It is never too late to begin feeling less stressed and more organized for your big day!

Organize in 15 Minutes or Less

Don't you just hate those organizing projects that seem to take forever? Many clients of mine just shy away from them and get totally overwhelmed just at the thought of organizing..especially if it is going to take more than 15 minutes.

Below are a few organizing fixes that you can do in 15 minutes or less. They will give you a great starting point for those larger projects and give you smaller goals that you CAN accomplish.

1. Organize Small Odds and Ends: Take things like jewelry or extra nails and screws and put them in an ice cube tray.

2. Too Many Lipsticks? Line a gift box with a thin layer of florist's foam. Using a lipstick tube, punch rows of holes in the foam; then stand the tubes label end up.

3. Put Sheets Inside Their Matching Pillowcases: This way, linens are always ready when you need/want to make a bed.

4. Corral Outgoing Mail, Bills or Take-Out Menus: Slide them into pretty napkin holders that are laying around.

5. Alphabetize and Categorize DVDS/Videos: Store them in stackable boxes with labels so you know right where to go when you want to watch one (kids, classics, etc.)

Keeping Up A Realistic Schedule for Spring Cleaning

Spring is just around the corner (I know many of us can't imagine it) and spring cleaning checklists are already starting to pop up all around us. I caution my clients to take on too many spring cleaning tasks at once and to always start slow.

After you read through your spring cleaning and organizing lists, make sure you tailor the lists to YOUR home and YOUR yard. You should create a realistic schedule, keeping in mind that a single weekend will probably not suffice and not even a few week days, if you have several involved projects. Make sure you set goals and schedule in the time they might take. If you can, try to overestimate the time it will take and you will feel better about getting it done in less time! Ah.. the feeling of accomplishment.

If you take on spring cleaning (which I recommend to all clients in some form), focus on one task at a time-whether you prefer to start in the basement or start outside. And, be sure to enlist the help of family members or other friends that you can barter services with. Happy Cleaning.

Send a Suit Clothing Drive

I am all about donating items for a good cause. One of my favorite charities,to give to, Dress For Success, is having a clothing drive called Send A Suit Clothing Drive. It is happening TODAY, Thursday, from 7:00 am- 2:00 pm.

If you are in the Metropolitan DC area, this is a great charity to give to. You can
donate gently used (or new!) items from your work wardrobe. The Clothing Drive is located at the FedEx Special Delivery truck, Capitol South Metro Station, corner of 1st & D Sts. SE.

If you can't stop by today, definitely keep this organization in mind for future donations!

Getting Overwhelmed By A Big Project..

This past week my husband and I had to pack up our condo so we could get it ready to put on the market. Since I am "the professional organizer" I took charge and instantly starting acting like I was my own client and weeded through clothing, pared down items to be put into boxes, etc.

My husband on the other hand, looked at me in the middle of all the chaos and said "Rosey (my nickname & my business name) I am overwhelmed with the clutter! I don't know where to begin because there is so much to do." I told him yes, there was a lot to get done in a short amount of time (we actually had a deadline) but to start small. Don't get overwhelmed by this huge project. Tackle something small and limited.

Below are a few other tips that I passed along to my husband during our organizing project and want to pass along to all of you.

- Tackle something small, like a bathroom drawer. This way, you'll have a sense of accomplishment you'll want to continue.

- Start off any place that will give you a fast payoff. In some parts of the house, like the garage, you can clear away large items in no time. Usually, the older the stash, the more quickly it can be cleared.

- Go for the area that drives you the most crazy. It could be your clothing closet, where you just spent 30 min. looking for your blue suit.

- Forget perfect. Perfectionists often avoid getting organized but the important thing is to start. Get paper into files so you can find a bill when you need it, for example. You can always adjust the system if it isn't working.

- Go on a treasure hunt. Instead of getting rid of junk, decide that you're preserving things you love. The positive act of searching is more effective organizing than the negative act of throwing things away. Define your search, store what you find and throw out the rest.

- Think of the end user. Make lists where you would like your unwanted items to go-whether it is a charity, a secondhand shop or selling them on Ebay. Knowing that what you discard will go to those who need or want, will make letting go of the items easier. It actually gives you PERMISSION to get rid of things. Everyone benefits!

Your To Do List

Do you find that your "to do" list just keeps getting longer instead of shorter? Do you even start adding things that belong to someone else just so they can get written down somewhere? Below are a few organizational tips on how to cross off more of your items.

- Always keep your "to do" list handy, so you can tackle a project if you find you have time to kill. For example, make a return phone call while waiting in the carpool line or clean out your purse while in your doctor's waiting room.

- Create "to do" lists that are easy to manage. There is now a FABULOUS site Gubb that is FREE and will let you create, store, manage and even share your multiple lists. They have lists for errands, books, groceries, etc. You can even text message lists to a cell phone, (yours or another). Hey what a GREAT excuse to delegate (oh honey...).

- Write your "to do's" in your datebook as if they were appointments. This will then force you to truly estimate how long a project will take you, so you will be less like to procrastinate and put it off!