Organizing Discount at the Container Store for Teachers

Attention all teachers..

My favorite store, The Container Store, is offering a %15 off discount to teachers. The discount will offer educators %15 off when shopping to help organize their classrooms.

I think this is an amazing discount! As a NAPO Professional Organizer, I always receive a discount for my clients and any little bit helps!

Teachers, run do not walk to your closet Container Store. Or, you can just shop online!

Container Store 25% off Shelving Sale!

As many of you know, I am obsessed with everything about the Container Store. Twice a year they also hold a 25% off Elfa and other shelving sale that I tell clients to take advantage of while they can. It is an amazing sale and I can't say enough wonderful things about Elfa for any room in a home. Elfa has so many benefits which include (but are not limited to!): being adjustable, easy to customize, easy to use and great for organizing any space! Happy 25% SALE!

Day 2: Touch Every Toy

It is Day 2 of Ohdeedoh's Toy Cure. How is it going? Are you following the plan and weeding out toys in your house?

I just love the comments about the psychology of the Outbox that they talk about:

Here's another excerpt from the Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure book which describes the psychology of the Outbox:

Most clutter clearers will tell you to sort through your belongings and remove a certain amount to the garbage, to recycling, or to a giveaway pile. This is a first-generation clutter-clearing approach. It focuses mainly on identifying clutter that will immediately be taken away. The problem with first-generation thinking is that it doesn't take into account that there are two problems: how to sort out the clutter and how to detach from individual items. Separation anxiety is the far bigger problem.

When faced with two anxiety-provoking decisions - where something should go (its value to the world) and whether one can separate from it (its value to the owner) - most people get stuck and simply hold on to things as a default. Second-generation clutter management unhitches these two stressful decisions. It deals with separation first and decides how and where to get clutter out of your apartment later.

The 7 Day Toy Cure

One of my favorite sites, Apartment Therapy Ohdeehoh is hosting a 7 day Toy Cure that I am absolutely obsessed with trying out! I figure I can ALWAYS be doing more to organize the toys in my home and I would love to see some of my clients and readers join in!

If you have toys in your home and want to get them more organized, check out the daily steps. I can't wait to hear and see any progress you have all made!

Day 1's assignment: Day 1: Create An Outbox & Touch Every Toy

Do you have YOUR calendar ready for back to school?

School has started in some parts of the country already and if it hasn't started yet, it will probably start right after Labor Day. Everyone has a hectic schedule, so keeping it all organized is especially important. I recommend taking the time before school starts or at the beginning of the school year to spend some time coordinating calendars (mom's, dad's, kid's, etc.) with the school year's events.

Taking time in the beginning of the year will pay off in the end. As soon as a school calendar comes out, update yours and update the "family" calendar. Include all days that kids will be out of school so you can plan ahead for alternative care and activities. Include all professional days for the same reasons. Also include all extra-curricular activities.

What calendar do you use? Are you more visual and like to write things down? Or are you more productive with an electronic calendar? I have realized that I am more "visual" and still write my calendar because I like to see my appointments and obligations. In year's past I have used the Mom Agenda but this year I am going to be switching things up! Stay tuned.

Organizing Outfits for Children

A great tip for organizing children's outfits (when the child can actually dress themselves!) is to organize the outfit by day of the week. By taking the time to place an outfit in each of the shelves, as the parent you are able to plan ahead and save the time in the morning running around figuring out what the child has to wear. This is also a great exercise to do with your child as it gets them involved in the process of organizing and planning ahead. In the end, it turns out to be a win-win situation as there is much stress, frustration and time saved.

For example, does Michael have soccer on Thursday? If so, we should place an extra pair of shorts and his soccer shirt in the Thursday shelf.

There is a great example of this project at One Step Ahead.

Dresser Drawers: Can They Ever Be Truly Organized?

Most of my clients have at least one dresser that they use for clothing of some sort. Usually the dressers are packed to the top of the drawers filled with things like shirts, pajamas, underwear/socks, etc. So, what is someone to do when they find themselves in this situation? 

I just read a great post that lays out a few tips on how to organize dresser drawers from Apartment Therapy. 

There were five tips that they mentioned:

1. Every few months, take everything out of your drawers and refold them. It's not a very fun job but it will keep your drawers tidy and organized. Plus, it's a good time to pull out stained or torn clothing.

2. Rather than stacking T-shirts, try "filing" them. As you can see in the after photo, I filed my color T-shirts so I can easily assess which one I want. When items are stacked it's invariably the one of the bottom that you want and getting to that one involves disrupting all the others…and that's what leads to a messy drawer.

3. Use containers in your drawers to hold the small stuff. In my drawer I've used a few containers. There's a small bank where I stow my collection of wheat pennies and other old money, a jewelry box for watches and necklaces, plus a large bowl to hold my bow ties.

4. If you have a particularly large drawer, consider picking up dividers or organizers. You can find organizers at stores like The Container Store which will help you keep things tidy by creating sections in the drawers.

5. Keep your drawer smelling fresh by storing candles in it. Whether it's a new or even just a little nub of a mostly burned one, a candle placed in your drawer will keep your clothes smelling lovely. You could also use bars of soap.

Make sure to check out the post here and see the before and after picture!

Organizing Glitter and Other Uses for Mini-Salt Shakers

I am all about organization as many people know. And as many people know, I also am all about letting my kids explore and play to their heart's delight. But what about the mess that many of these "fun" projects create?

When I saw this post on www.Ohdeedoh.com about using mini-salt shakers, I got so excited. What a great idea for organizing smaller items that can cause a mess like glitter and ice cream sprinkles!

Haven't Blogged in WAY too long

I can't believe I haven't blogged in MONTHS!! I have been putting all my effort into my clients and I must apologize to all my readers who haven't heard from me in so long.

So what have I been up to? First of all, while neglecting my blog, I have been posting almost daily on my Facebook page. I have also been keeping clients and readers up to date with where I have been speaking, what I have been doing and more organizational tips through my newsletter.

This post is just to let you know that I am back and hope to be blogging much more often. I can't wait!

How Oprah Learned to Declutter

I was so excited to pick up the March Issue of Oprah Magazine and see that the magazine was devoted to organizing! There are so many articles in the magazine that are wonderful and explain the true benefits of organizing-both emotional as well as the physical. These concepts are truly spelled out and there is even a letter from Oprah herself at the end talking about how she learned to declutter.

If you aren't a current subscriber, I would go to your local CVS and try to pick up a copy. It is a great issue and truly speaks to the benefits of hiring a professional organizer (like myself!) and what they can do for you and your family.

What is a Life Stylist?

Whenever I introduce myself to people and they ask me what I do, I tell them I am a Life Stylist. Their next question is usually, well, what is a Life Stylist? 

I have defined Life Stylist: One who uses her creativity to assist you in all aspects of your life, from your home to your office; from time and space management to planning your events. She makes a plan and produces the results you desire. 

Please make sure to check out my website for some of the actual services that I do offer clients!

New Talk Series!

I have joined forces with an amazing personal stylist named Lani Inlander. Lani and I have put together a NEW Talk Series for Moms. We will be presenting to moms in different locations across the DC Metro Area. If you have a mom's group, book club, church or synagogue group, retail location, etc. please don't hesitate to contact me about hosting one of our talks.  

Our Life and Style for the Modern Mom talks will include the following topics: 

- The 7 Principles of Pregnancy Dressing

- Organizing the Nursery with Style

- What to Wear & Where to Put It for the SAHM

- Back to work: Getting Out the Door Looking Great & Feeling Organized 

Are your Kids Hoarders?

A few days ago the LA Times published a great article by Alexandria Abramian-Mott, on a question that I get all the time from parents, Are My Kids Hoarders? The article goes on to explain that there are distinctions we, as parents, can make between just being a kid and a child who actually has a hoarder problem.

When working with parents, as the article explains, there are solutions that we put in place so that a child's collection of silly bands, legos, blocks and coloring books to do not get out of control.

I am the mom to 3 year old identical twin girls. Ever since they were 2, I have involved them in the process of organizing. They know that it isn't a one time event but we make it a fun process at certain times of the year. For instance, I know they would collect books forever unless we went through them from time to time. Since they just turned 3 and I knew they would be receiving more books for their birthday, we all sat together and went through the books that they no longer read. I empowered them to place books that were for "babies" in one pile to donate and give away to families that didn't have books. We also made another pile of those books that they were currently reading. This way, we had room for more books that I knew were coming in. We then went together to our school to donate the books they were no longer using. It wasn't a tug of war but something they now enjoy doing. And we will constantly do this for each "category" of their things.

Check out the article for some other fascinating thoughts on the topic of hoarding and kids.

1st Annual Creative Mom's Winterfest

Calling all Mommies in the DC Area!!

Today from 3-6 pm, I will be at Little Omm Yoga Studio for the 1st Annual Creative Mom's Winterfest. I am so excited to be exhibiting with some other wonderfully creative Mom's from the DC Metro Area.

It is shaping up to be a great event. Bring the kids!! Free honest tea, cookies, organic baby food from Happy Baby and goodies from Patch.com! There will be a singer at 3 pm and a book signing from 4-5.

Baby Love DC is also hosting a mini drive at the festival for all used baby items like clothing, diaper bags, toys, etc. This is a wonderful time to donate some of the items you are no longer using in your home to a good cause! I know I will be bringing some items.

I look forward to seeing you all and revealing my new logo and special packages that are good for TODAY only.

Other great vendors include:

Certifikid.com

Honest Tea

Happy Baby Foods

Stroller Strides

Urban Chic

Lani Inlander, professional stylist

New Website, New Look

I have a new website, www.rachel-lifestylist.com that I am so excited about. This means I will be changing around the look of this blog and maybe even changing the name to go along with my new look!

Make sure to check me out on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I will be sure to update the look of my blog very soon. Check back!

Organizing Article in New York Times with Barbara Reich

I hope everyone got to read the New York Times article today titled, Trust the Professional, It's Time to Toss It Out. The article interviewed fellow professional organizer AND TWIN MOMMY, Barbara Reich. I am really proud of the article and the author Elissa Gootman and how she portrays Barbara and the real benefits of organizing. Professional organizing is about a lot more than clearing clutter and the physical results. As the article discusses, working with a professional organizer can also clear your mind. As an organizer, I am much more than my title. I have been part therapist to some of my clients, part guidance counselor, part decorator and overall friend.

Elissa all got to experience first hand what a professional organizer can do and wrote about it in the article Abandon All Nostalgia. The Organizer is Coming Over.

I love my job. I love to help people make their lives run smoother, save precious time and help them save money. This New York Times article just brings to the forefront how working with a professional organizer actually works and what a professional organizer can help you do.

As Barbara Reich stated, "stress is clutter and clutter is stress." It gives me great joy being able to help someone become less stressed. Start your 2011 off on the right foot! January is Get Organized Month and there is no better time to get started on the life that you want and deserve! Contact me today for more details. I am running a 20% off special for January.

Rosey's Return!

Rosey's is back in 2011 and better than ever! Make sure to sign up for my newsletter (new one coming any day now!) and keep checking back. I am very excited to be announcing my return. I look forward to seeing you and working with you in 2011.