Moving is the Best Time to Introduce Organizing Systems

Moving into a new home is the best time to introduce organizing systems. "I absolutely love working with clients at this exciting yet stressful time in their lives,” Allbright admits. "When you move, you have the opportunity to start fresh, with organizing systems designed and implemented based on how the family wants to live NOW. When you move, you are bringing most of your belongings but you don't have to bring your Junk Drawer." What Allbright means is you have an opportunity to set up your home from day one in a purposeful manner, that makes the junk drawer (and other typical dropping zones) obsolete. The key is to set up organization systems before you move in, ultimately giving every item a resting place or home that matches the way your people move through their daily routine.

Calm Order was hired to do a complete Moving Service for a family of five. This family was running on all cylinders. Mom owned and managed a marketing company, dad is a professional with travel demands, they have two daughters in elementary school and a son just starting junior high. Seriously busy! To keep the family operating effectively, mom mastered online shopping. Every season demanded new clothing, sporting equipment, dance shoes, technology, and so on. When Calm Order met this family, the mom "confessed" to Karen (Allbright), "I am a hoarder." She described her shopping behavior and how it resulted in over-stuffed closets and dressers, a mudroom overflowing with equipment, shoes and clothing; and a garage they could no longer park their cars in.

After examining the households’ way of life and conducting an inventory of their belongings Karen respectfully told her new client, "you are not a hoarder, you are a shopper." The items purchased were most definitely needed. Calm Order implemented an organizing system that helped the family bring in new items, move out outgrown items, and effectively transition between seasons “There is a very big difference in behavior when old items are willingly and purposefully purged. Hoarders can't get rid of things"", reminded Allbright. "There is an effective organizing system for "shoppers."

An interesting UCLA study identified that a new child in a household increased average possessions by 30% in the preschool years alone. 'At least 30%, maybe even more!", exclaims Allbright. "You need an organizing system that is flexible and effective at managing family growth and change."

I can organize... but I can't STAY organized

You have read the organizing books, even hired a professional organizer, but you cannot get your family on board to keep your house organized! Sound familiar? It's okay! Organization fails happen. And when they do, it's easy to place the blame on your kids, your partner or even yourself, but that isn't going to solve anything. At Calm Order, we focus on removing blame and taking a closer look at behavior to see how we can adapt the current organizing systems to better match our client's lifestyle ... "bad" habits included.

One client called us fed up with their teenage daughter's habit of leaving all her skin care and hair products scattered on her bathroom countertop. "I put in an organizer on the back of her bathroom door, right beside the countertop. Each product had its own pocket, I thought it was brilliant. Well, it didn't work!" the client cried. "My organizing system can't survive when my family won't help."

Her young daughter, like most, was busy. She dances, plays volleyball, loves to draw, follows the latest hair trends and is constantly busy with homework. This was her reason for not using the over-the-door organizing system. Calm Order has seen this behavior before. This girl is a dropper.

Instead of fighting it, we recommend putting a basket on the bathroom counter to corral her products while she is going through her morning routine. She can put away the product into the organizing system on the back of her door when she has more time. Better to leave the countertop clear enough to wipe down.

The young girl had other "drop" zones in the house where her hair elastics, jewellery, water bottles and lip balms accumulated and it drove her parents crazy. A bookshelf in the basement, right next to where she practiced dance and worked out was one drop zone, and the phone desk near the back door was the other. Calm Order suggested the same strategy. Place a gathering basket or tray (with her name on it) at both "dumping" spots. Not perfect, but certainly a step in the right direction. How does the saying go? If you can't change them, find a way to work with them

"Full disclosure, I'm a dropper," smiled Karen Allbright, owner of Calm Order. "For me, it is most obvious in my bathroom. I guess I haven't outgrown my teenage habits." Allbright continues, "Getting ready in the morning, I just don't take the time to put my hair product and make-up back in its place. But it is easy for me to keep it all corralled in countertop vanity basket. I don't want to come home after work to a mess. It just feels easy to put it away properly as I go through my bedtime routine. I like to start the next day fresh."

Using a tray or basket to contain items can help reduce clutter and keep you organized for your morning routine.

Get Organized for a Backyard Barbecue!

Sunny and warm days are ahead, which means optimal weather for a backyard barbecue with your household. To make sure you aren’t caught unawares the next sunny day that comes, take the time now to set up your outdoor entertaining and most importantly, your barbecue!

Uncover Patio Furniture

Pull out your patio from its winter storage area – whether it is in your garage, shed, or still outside under patio covers. Determine where you will place your furniture and consider the location carefully. For example, where do you get the most sun exposure, and at what time of day? How close is the furniture and entertaining space to the house? When hosting barbecues, it is more convenient to be near the house to easily move food and drinks in and out. Once you’ve decided on your location, place the furniture to create the perfect eating and relaxing area.

Clean, Clean, Clean

No matter how carefully items are stored, there will likely still be some dust and grime to clean off your outdoor furniture and décor. Take some time to spray and wipe everything down so you can eat and visit on clean and fresh smelling furniture. If you have cushions stored separately, make sure they’re given a quick airing and pat down to remove any dust that has accumulated.

Of course, it’s important to make sure the star of the show is also thoroughly cleaned and ready for the main event. Before you fire up the grill for the first time, make sure it has had a good clean and scrub. You can check out this guide from Popular Mechanics on how you can properly clean your barbecue before use.

Inspect Your Items

Check to make sure all your furniture and décor are in working order. Any cushions that need replacing or lights that are burnt out? Need more charcoal or smoke chips, or a replacement brush for the barbecue? Take inventory of what items you may have around the house and in outdoor storage to see what else might need restocking before the barbecue and outdoor season begins in earnest.

Enjoy for the Season

Once you’ve finished inspecting and replaced any materials that were damaged or used up last season, you can look forward to enjoying your outdoor space for the rest of the season! To keep your outdoor space organized and in working order for the rest of the spring and summer season, implement some practical and easy-to-find storage placements for items you won’t need outside all the time. For example, outdoor cushions and décor might only be needed when the space is in use, so if you have furniture with built-in storage, plan for where to keep items in the interim. You can also designate a space in your backyard shed, garage, or spare storage space in your home that is easy to access whenever you’re ready to go outside. If you have separate outdoor dining accessories, consider keeping them in a kitchen cupboard or drawer so they are all together and in easy reach of the backyard or patio.

Finally, don’t forget to keep your eye on the weather forecast for the next perfect barbecue day!