Tip Two:
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Pick up as you go. Instead of leaving a trail of items behind you as you go through your day, put them away as you use them. For example, when I do my hair,  instead of leaving the comb, blow dryer and curling iron out afterwards, I put them all away when I'm done using them. They each have a home in my bathroom, helping to keep my counters clutter free. This step is, of course, much easier if you have a home for everything, so getting organized first is a key to success. Imagine picking up as you go instead of spending entire afternoons on the weekend putting things away throughout your home, or in the evenings the day before your cleaning service comes. It is a time saver and makes household maintenance much easier in the long run.

Tip Three:
Keep like-with-like. If you organize everything in your home this way, you will be able to find what you need when you need it. This means, for example, all of your vases together, all of your spare home décor together, and all of your candles together.  

​This is especially important in your kitchen. A pantry and kitchen organized this way will save you time and money. Like-with-like makes it so you don’t over-purchase because you can see how much you have of each category. It also allows you to organize items into a space that fits the entire category together. If the category doesn’t fit in once space, it is time to pick a new space or declutter some of that category.

These three tips are easy to remember but harder to implement. It takes discipline and time initially, but once you get organized, these tips will maintain organization in your home in a simple way that will become habit. You’ll do them without even thinking. Make a sign to hang on your fridge or in your office that says Throw Trash Away Right Away, Pick up as You Go and Like with Like until you have them memorized. It’s amazing how much stress these tips eliminate and how much time and money it will save you. Begin today, and you will not regret it!

Cheers to getting and staying organized!

​Melissa Fortino

If it's time to go through your or your family’s clothing, but you find yourself wondering, "where do I begin?", this step-by-step guide is for you!

Step One:
It’s time to purge! Go through your closet and dresser item by item. Decide what you need, use and love out of your clothing. The items that you no longer want might be worn out, out of fashion, or the wrong size. Decide if you should throw them away (think stains and tears) or donate them (think new or gently used). Create a bag for each, and make a plan for getting the donations out of your home. Decide where to take the donations, when and at what time. Create an appointment on your calendar and stick to it!

Step Two:
As you purge, sort the items you’re keeping like-with-like. Create piles (for example, on your bed) for each type of clothing: pants, shorts, sleeveless tops, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, etc. This will give you an inventory of what you own, and you may get rid of more once you see just how many pairs of jeans you have.  
If you’re keeping clothing in sizes not currently being worn, sort those items together by size. Store these items in the closet on high shelves or in bins in storage. For children's clothing, mark a date on your calendar when to incorporate the next size up into the closet.

Step Three:
Now that you’ve sorted and purged the clothing, it’s time to organize it! You can decide at this point what makes sense to hang versus fold based on the space available and the size of the category. For each hanging category, you’ll want to organize it in rainbow order from left to right on matching hangers. We love the slim velvet or acrylic hangers. Long items like dresses should go in the long hanging space. For the clothing going in your dresser, for example graphic t-shirts, we like to file fold, which means placing them in the drawer the way that files go in a file drawer. This gives you the ability to see what you have from above. If you’re putting folded clothing on shelves in your closet, shelf dividers are handy, as well. If you haven’t already, it’s time to organize the clothing that you’re keeping that’s too small or too big by size, either high up in the closet or in your basement storage room in labeled bins. Be sure to mark your calendar when it’s time to get that clothing out.  

Staying on top of clothing organization will reduce stress when you’re getting ready, and keep you honest about what you already own so you can change your shopping habits. As a bonus, an organized closet truly does look beautiful. As always, if you’re feeling stumped still or are overwhelmed by the thought of doing this we’re just a phone call away to help.  

Happy organizing!

​Melissa Fortino