Rubbermaid - Adventures in Organization

An Aesop's Fable for the Modern Day World

The other day a co-worker forwarded me an email about a newlywed gentleman she met in a home improvement store. She asked if this was something we wanted to post to our blog. As it was, the content didn't work too well. However with a little modification I've turned the story into a modern day Aesop's Fable (or Rubbermaid Fable if you will). Or maybe it's just plain silly. You judge for yourself.

Yesterday, while working at a home improvement store in Lee's Summit, I meet a newlywed gentleman who just had his first fight with new wife.

The fight centered around the closet. Prior to being married the man had the entire closet to himself. When his wife moved in he was left with only 1/4 of the closet space. Not a good situation for anyone. The man was not happy about this change.

After the fight was over the wife left for work. The gentleman then immediately began tearing everything out of the closet in a fit of anger. Shelves, rods, clothes, everything!

Realizing the situation he jumped into the car and drove to the local home improvement store. He didn't have a plan, had no idea what needed to be done, or how to correct the situation.  That's when he saw me. He claims God had sent him an angel.

After a quick conversation on his closet situation including size, contents and problems I began to help him put together a new closet system that would accommodate both him and his wife. Ultimately I recommended a wardrobe shelving system that would partition off his clothes from hers so they could each have their own area of the closet. He took my advice, purchased the product, and headed home so he could show his wife their beautiful new closet (not a totally destroyed closet).

The moral of the story is: Even if you have limited closet space you don't have to hate your closet. And there is absolutely no need to fight over it. There are numerous solutions that will help you get and stay organized.  And, if you need help, there are always professional organizers you can call to help you out.

My Garage Makeover - Six Months Later

How many times have you taken the time to organize your garage, closet, kitchen or other problem area to find that just a few weeks later it's back to it's originally messy state?

I had the same problem too. But I don't have that problem anymore. I've begun to understand the basics of getting organized, and more importantly, staying organized.

Last June I undertook a fairly large project. I decided to makeover my garage. The project took a few weekends with some help from my son but when it was complete I was very excited with the results.  The garage looked great and I felt great about the accomplishment. However, I feel even better about it today than I did then.

It's been six months and the garage is STILL ORGANIZED!

The trick to keeping it organized was planning on the front end about how the space was going to be utilized and by whom, clearing the clutter that didn't belong, and most importantly, taking 5 minutes every once in a while to pick up a few items the kids leave laying around.  I would list those three things as the most important aspects of getting and staying organized.

I hope these photos give you a little inspiration going into 2009. Remember, you can get and stay organized too.

- View the complete photo set on Flickr

Q&A with a Professional Organizer - Brandie Kajino

Brandie Kajino - Vancouver, WA  – www.TheHomeOfficeOrganizer.com

1. How long have you been a professional organizer?
I've been doing this for 3 years now.

2. What inspired you to become a professional organizer?
I have always loved rearranging rooms and spaces to make them work more efficiently. Then I found out I could make a career out of it!  Like most people in the US, I had seen television shows where people would clean out their rooms in 30 minutes and have a huge change. I was inspired by the changes and how that would feel to help others do that (knowing full well it would NOT take 30 minutes). So, I guess you could say that a burning desire to help frustrated, busy people make changes in their space is what inspired me to get started.

3. What is the most common organizing project you’re hired to do?
I help small businesses and entrepreneurs organize their home office so they can find their stuff when they need it. Many of the people who call me truly want to get organized, but they are mystified at where they should start. That’s where I come in. About 70% of my clientele just need a plan and a nudge in the right direction. I give them just that. It’s a little like a coach that shows you what do to, and then firmly encourages you to get moving toward the goal you want to achieve. My clients have to do the work, and I am there to support them as long as they need me to be.

4. What is the most common organizing challenge people have?
Paper!  This is #1 thing people call about, and is the most popular category on my website’s blog. There’s so much of it, and with nearly every household having access to the web and a printer, there seems to be no end in site. There’s a lot of paper that isn’t necessary, and it’s just a matter of figuring out how to get it all to fly in formation. 

5. If you had to pick ‘your’ biggest organizing challenge, what would it be?
I’m “serially curious” and constantly coming up with ideas. There’s so much to learn and do, it can sometimes be overwhelming!  I’ve had to come up with ways to capture my ideas (sometimes in the middle of the night or in the car) so I know I can get at them later. I’ve also learned that unless I am actually taking action, those ideas are only wishes. So, I sort through what’s really important and leave the rest of later. 

6. What one tips would you give to people who are trying to get organized?
Be realistic. “Organized” only means you can find most anything you need in about 5 minutes. Don’t be put off by magazine covers and magical makeovers. If you can find what you need in 5 minutes or less, you just might be organized. If your situation could be improved, reach out to someone (like an Organizer) who can show you how. 

7. How can potential clients get in touch with you?
They can reach me on my website Contact Page. They can also explore my website, which has lots of information including links, downloadable products, resources, a link to my podcast/radio show and my blog (www.thehomeofficeorganizer.com/blog). If they are on Twitter, they can follow me @bkajino.

Under-the-Stairs Closet Storage

Once again I'm about to jump into another home makeover project. This time the project revolves around getting the storage space under my staircase organized.

Originally when I moved into this home a few years ago the space under the stairs was completely empty. It was a blank canvas. At the time, without knowing the basics of organization (and an army of professional organizers), I added a single wire shelf. This helped out a bit but, as you can see from the photo, didn't solve the problem.

The issue we have is this space never stays organized. There are probably a few reasons for this. The first is because it's not very easy to access the items stored in this area. Which means people usually just toss stuff in. The second reason is because there really aren't any storage compartments. The third is because we've yet to identify the exact issue at hand.

Anyway, I'm going to fix this problem soon. Any advice or tips you may have are welcome. I'll be sure to share the results when the project is complete.

Samaritan House Basement Makeover

We take this months’ adventure out of the home to Samaritan House. Samaritan House provides recuperative care to the homeless who are just out of the hospital. The home that was donated for the shelter is very old and with limited storage space. On a previous visit, we discovered that their basement has a lot of space potential for storing items such as clothing donations that the guests can take when they leave, as well as household items (holiday decorations) that are only used seasonally and don’t need to be accessed year-round. However, the current shelves are rotting and the design doesn’t allow for efficient storage.

A group of friends and I plan to give this basement a makeover. Let me know your thoughts on what we should do to organize this space. I am thinking plastic shelving with clear totes for seeing contents, but am open to ideas!

Helpful Blogs & Websites for Getting Organized

With January being National Get Organized Month I thought I'd do a post on some of the organizing blogs and websites I've bookmarked.  By no means is this a comprehensive list. If you know of a great organizing blog or website just let me know. I'll add it to the list. Hope you find them helpful. Good luck getting organized in 2009.

BLOGS

Allison Carter: www.organizeru.com

Brandie Kajino: www.thehomeofficeorganizer.com/blog

Brenda Prinzavalli: www.balorg.blogspot.com

Deb Lee: www.organizetorevitalize.blogspot.com

Debbie Jordan Kravitz: www.mypersonalorganizer.typepad.com

Debbye Cannon: www.organizingwithoutagonizing.com

Denise Russos: www.posolutions.wordpress.com

Eva Abreu: www.sort-things-out.blogspot.com

Janice Simon: www.theclutterprincess.com

John Trosko: www.organizingla.com

Julie Bestry: www.juliebestry.com/organizing

Krista Colvin: www.theshebang.com & www.organizeinstyleblog.com

Laura: www.orgjunkie.com

Lorrie Marrero: www.clutterdietblog.com

Melissa Smallwood: www.organizedlifebydesign.com

Monica Ricci: www.monicaricci.typepad.com

Sandy Jenney: www.organizewithsandy.blogspot.com

Scott Roewer: www.declutteryou.com

Tanna Clark: www.completeorganizingsolutions.com

Unclutterer: www.unclutterer.com

The O-Myth: www.theomyth.com

WEBSITES

Allison Carter: www.theprofessionalorganizer.com

Carol Posener: www.getorganised.com.au

Carson Tate: www.simplicity-organizers.com

Ellen Damaschino: www.neatorganizer.com

Ilene Drexler: www.organizingwiz.com

Kim Oser: www.putitaway.net

Lauren Halagarda: www.2organizeu.com

Life Organizers: www.lifeorganizers.com

Mandi Ehman: www.organizingyourway.net

Patty Kreamer: www.byebyeclutter.com

The Organized Parent: www.theorganizedparent.com

Randi's Closet Makeover - The Happy Ending - Part Three

The first thing we did to re-do the closet was to install Rubbermaid Configurations / Homefree closet system.  This is the same system I have in my house and I really love it for its versatility to be able to maximize vertical space in the closet as well as its ease of installation (no cutting / complex measuring).

One thing her previous closet did not have was a lot of shelves, so we added an entire wall of shelving to the back of the closet for her seasonal and infrequently used items.   We grouped like items (wrapping supplies, electronic accessories) into clear Rubbermaid bins so that she could clearly see them. 

Lastly, we took Ellen’s idea of a shoe organizer and hung it on a side wall for commonly used items she didn’t have a place for in her condo which is very limited with drawers and storage space.  We also labeled the pockets so she could easily find items in the future.

With two of us, the entire project took 2 ½ hours, start to finish!!

We’ll check back in with Randi in a few weeks to see how this design is working for her….

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Randi's Closet Makeover Series

• Part 1: The problem
• Part 2: The makeover process
• Part 3: The happy ending

Q&A with a Professional Organizer - Ilene Drexler

Ilene Drexler, CPO - New York, NY - www.OrganizingWiz.com

1. How long have you been a professional organizer?
I've been a professional organizer for 4.5 years.

2. What inspired you to become a professional organizer?
My lifelong passion for organizing .  I had spent 20 years in corporate operations working on efficiency and process improvement in supply chain management, but was tired of the corporate world.  It's so much more rewarding seeing results quickly in a one-on-one with clients, vs. waiting months for corporate project teams to produce results.   I love the fact that I can transform an area for a client in 2-4 hours.

3. What is the most common organizing project you’re hired to do?
Filing systems/home office organizing is #1, with closet organizing being a close second.  These two areas represent about 70-80% of my business.   

4. What is the most common organizing challenge people have?
Getting rid of the unneeded/unloved "stuff".  So may clients get stuck in clutter because for whatever the reason, they have not gotten rid of the things that are just in their way.  Working with a Professional Organizer can help them to make decisions about letting go.   Most feel much "lighter" afterwards (their words).   

5. If you had to pick ‘your’ biggest organizing challenge, what would it be?
There is never enough time to do all the things I want to with my business for longer term projects like working on my web site content, writing articles, etc.  I'm pretty organized, but as a solopreneur, client work & development take most of my time.  Having a staff is the only thing I miss about working in the corporate world.

6. What one tip would you give to people who are trying to get organized?
If you want a different result, you have to be willing to change your habits regardless of the organizing system implemented; it's hard work.  It's been shown to take 21 days of doing the new behavior to create a new habit.  An organizer can create the best system in the world for you, but if you are not willing to do things differently, you won't accomplish long term change.

7. The # 1 question I get is how long do I need to keep this piece of paper?
The answer of course varies based on the type of record.

8. How can potential clients get in touch with you? 
        Ilene Drexler
        Certified Professional Organizer ®
        The Organizing Wiz ®
        201 East 87th Street #11G
        New York, NY 10128
        Phone: 917-301-1981
        Fax: 212-828-3663
        Email: ilene@organizingwiz.com
        Web Site: www.organizingwiz.com
        Twitter: http://twitter.com/OrganizingWiz

Randi's Closet Makeover - Part Two

On New Years Eve, Randi and I tackled the Great Closet Organization Project. We took Julie's advice she gave on my last blog and went through everything to make sure it was really needed. Using Rubbermaid totes, Randi and I sorted and had her sort everything in the closet into 4 piles:

1. Donate
2. Mend or Repair
3. Throw Away and
4. Keep

The exercise really helped eliminate some un-needed items we could give to local Charlotte charities and also let Randi know what exactly what was going back into the closet so it was easy to find.

Also, we took Julie's advice on using underbed boxes. We were able to fit 2 under her guest bed - - one for Christmas decorations and a second for backpacks. Because Randi uses that closet as a seasonal / utilitarian closet, some additional holiday items ended up on the floor of the closet.

Stay posted next week for the final result!!

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Randi's Closet Makeover Series

• Part 1: The problem
• Part 2: The makeover process
• Part 3: The happy ending

You Could Win An Organization Makeover

Welcome to 2009!  As you may or may not know, January in National Get Organized Month. To support this event Rubbermaid has put together an Organization Makeover promotion. Below are some of the details.

To enter, visit our website, select a room in your home that’s most in need of organization (garage, closet, kitchen or other). Take a photo of the room and upload the image to our website. Include a short story or description of the challenges you face in getting the room in order.

From all the entries submitted, one hundred will be randomly selected from all the entries for judging (to be done by Rubbermaid and Carson Tate), which will be based on the judging criteria listed on our website.

Good Luck!