Claire Kurtz | Claire Kurtz is The Well-Organized Woman

Consolidating Two Households

April 10, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

Spring is a popular time of year for weddings. Following this joyous occasion, many will be tasked with the process of joining of their two households. This consolidation often requires tough choices and concessions to be made, but if you tackle the task in an organized fashion it does not have to be painful. In order to help decrease the possibility for complications (and marital tension), we’ve created a guide for how to execute a merge in the WOW way.

The first step in merging two households is to take an inventory of everything. With a complete inventory you can then determine if there are duplicates (keep the newer/nicer version) or items in need of purging (old, broken, unused). Although many duplicates will be obvious, others are easily overlooked, such as linens and kitchen tools. Following the removal of the these types of items, you should then assess the amount of combined belongings versus the amount of space in the new home.

If space is limited, begin discussing which items are must-haves and which are negotiable. In this process, keep in mind that just even though you hate his old Lazyboy chair, it may be his favorite piece of furniture and thus a keeper. If these discussions are particularly heated, consider inviting an impartial third party, such as WOW, to make the final judgement. The outsider does not have the same emotional attachments and thus can make decisions based on quality, necessity, or space requirements, etc.

While reviewing the inventory, take notes as to which items are moving and which are being purged. You should also note the new location of where the item will live to ensure that you actually have space for it. If the intended storage location is to remain unpacked in the moving box, in the basement, it may not be something you absolutely need to keep.

After you have conducted the move, the next task is to thoughtfully merge the items in the new home. Many find it to be a challenge to blend the design aesthetic of two individuals, so we often recommend several things. First, assess the two looks and determine if a few new purchases will help create a smooth synthesis. Small items like new throw pillows can seamlessly blend artwork or other items that would have otherwise looked out of place. Couples can also mix their styles by finding new and creative uses for furniture doubles that simply cannot be parted with. For example, if you end up with two beloved dressers, repurpose one to be a dining room console or hallway storage unit. A final option is to enlist the help of an interior designer.

Although many aspects of this process will be stressful, having an organized and beautifully merged household will be conducive to long-term harmony.

Good Luck!
TWOW

Laundry Day: Managing the Routine

April 6, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

A recurring issue brought up by clients is the task of laundry. Whether it be getting clothes washed, dealing with dry cleaning, or regularly folding and putting items away, it seems that many struggle to maintain a functional system. We’ve outlined below some of our most helpful tips for optimizing your laundry routine.

Scheduling:

There are two schools of thought on laundry scheduling and both are based on personal preference. For some clients, doing one load per day over the course of several days, allows them to not be overloaded and manage the folding/putting away process. For people with shorter attention spans or unpredictable schedules, this is a great option. For others, picking a specific day or time of the week for laundry ensures completion. If this is your preferred method, make sure to select a time in which no interruptions will cause half-folded laundry to remain on your couch for days. Calendar reminders are also great for this method.

Laundry Tips:

Cut down on the amount of laundry in your home by teaching family members to determine after each wear if the item can be re-hung or folded for another use, or if it is soiled and in fact in need of wash.
If you have the space, consider getting a tri-compartment laundry hamper to allow for pre-sorting. This will cut down on time in front of the machine.
For those with young helpers, post cleaning instructions, including proper wash cycles for various types of clothing, nearby the washer. You can also use a permanent marker to write “Cold Water” or “Air Dry” on the clothing label to ensure your clothes are not ruined on your kids watch.
Wash clothes that need ironing first, then iron while the next load is running.
Place a drying rack nearby the washer and hang clothes that cannot be dried immediately upon cycle finish to avoid wrinkling.
Use safety pins to pin dirty socks together prior to washing to ensure mates stay together.

Dry Cleaning:

Picking up and dropping off dry-cleaning can be a time-consuming weekly activity. For clients that hate the task or simply don’t have the time, I recommend several things. First, look into whether your home or office building offers free pickup. This will cut down on trips and is often similarly priced to regular cleaners. Second, is to invest in a pickup/dropoff service, such as Press Atlanta. They offer twice-a-week and will-call service for a reasonable cost. If neither of these options are a possibility, set a particular time and day of the week in which to conduct pickups and dropoffs at your normal cleaner.

No matter your feelings toward laundry, use these tips and the task will be just a bit easier.

Good Luck,
TWOW

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Organizing Your Digital Life: Part II

April 3, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

Last week we posted Part I of ‘Organizing Your Digital Life:’, which outlined general strategies for keeping your digital information contained. This week, we will delve into more specific digital functions, including calendars, photos, and website tracking.

Digital Calendars: If you’re the type of person who prefers to maintain a digital calendar, you probably know that this can be a great tool for time management and organization, if used correctly. There are two strategies for calendaring. Some chose to use calendars strictly for appointments, which is fine. Others use their calendar as an extension of their task list. They create reminders for everything and add them to their calendar during times of the day when they know they can complete the task. This method often helps to ensure completion of the task. Another calendar organization strategy is to use color coding to delineate between personal, family, professional, or task-related entries. In general, I always suggest reviewing your calendar each Sunday for the week ahead and each morning for that day.

Websites: The number of great websites and blogs that pop up each day is staggering. In order to help you keep up with your favorites, without monopolizing all of your free time, there are several excellent tools. A feed reader, such as Google Reader allows you to ‘subscribe’ to sites you like and receive all new content in a single place. Given the typical frequency of use of Facebook, other clients prefer to ‘like’ or subscribe to all of their favorite sites and brands there in order to receive updates via their newsfeed. Either way, these tools will help streamline the content into one place so that you can avoid accessing many sites each day.

Photos: Clients often have difficulty keeping their digital photo collections stored in a way that allows for easy searching and access. With this problem I suggest two things. First, set aside a particular day (or two) each month to download the photos from your camera or phone. Following the download, immediately create well-labeled folders that include dates to categorize the new photos. The second step is to add these folders and files to your external hard drive, online backup (SOS), photo storage website (Shutterfly), or social media site for additional safe-keeping. Although we all fear a computer crash where all of our files are lost, few actually maintain a system for backing up their files on a regular basis. The monthly photo download process is a great time to transfer additional new files or items to their respective backup locations.

No matter the extent to which you maintain a digital life, it is important to keep the files, tools, and processes just as organized as you would your home.

Good Luck!
TWOW

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Organizing Your Digital Life – Part I

March 30, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

Just like the physical items in your home, having an organizational strategy for your digital life can increase productivity and peace-of-mind. Your email inbox, music library, and computer desktop can quickly get out of control, so it’s important to take the extra time to develop a process and system around organizing your data.

Computers: The number one piece of advice I can give any client when it comes to the content on your devices is to use your inbox, home-screen and desktop only for the items you need to access that day or regularly. Consider keeping your desktop clean by only leaving your itunes shortcut, email inbox and gym class schedule on it, for example. Everything else goes in well-labeled folders or secondary screens for easy access. The same goes for your email inbox where well-labeled folders are the key to a clear mind and a clear plan of action for each day. In other words, your inbox should double as the day’s to-do list. If it’s in the inbox, you need to respond or take action on the item that day.

Smart Phones and Tablets: Most smart phones have a homescreen with a menu of apps that pops up every time you turn on the phone. This is the screen where you should house your calendar, email accounts, texts, alarm clock, notes, calculator and any other information you access several times each day. Group together your entertainment apps, including all social media and web platforms like twitter, facebook, pinterest, weather, fandango, etc. on another screen. For financial accounts that you don’t use daily, group them together a layer or two under the most important screens. You can organize your tablets in a similar way. For traditional Kindle, try the archiving feature to get the books you’ve already read out of your main view.

Music library: If you’re like me, your iTunes can get a little out of control with songs you’ve gathered along the way that weren’t named correctly. Most of us have thousands of songs which could take a lifetime just to rename consistently, so I often recommend editing just 5 mis-named songs per day (and if you have the extra time, do 10). By the end of the year, you’ll have a consistent library that is easily searchable for those moments when you MUST hear that song you love.

Each of these recommendations will take a bit of your time to organize, but it really is in your best organizational interest to take that time and get your electronic life in order. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, break each technological arena down by month – by the end of the year, you’ll have your electronic life in order and a few organizational resolutions, resolved!

Good luck, and enjoy!
-TWOW

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Prepping For Your Child’s Summer Break

March 27, 2012 By Claire 1 Comment

If you’re like many parents that work full-time, your children’s summer break probably requires a lot of planning and organization. Although it’s still roughly three months away, it’s important to begin making arrangements now in order to meet enrollment deadlines and guarantee space.

To prepare for the impending break, first determine if your children will require full-time, part-time, or ad hoc child-care resources. Depending on the age of your children these resources could range from nannies to sleep-away camp. Once you decide which type of resource you will utilize, you can then begin research on your various options. We have included below a list of great websites to help with your process.

Summer Camps:

Local Kids Sports, Arts, & Educational Classes:

Parents Connect Atlanta Kids Class List

Summer Daycare Options:

When selecting your child’s summer plans, be sure to factor in frequency, location, time, age, child’s mental preparedness, and cost. Once you have chosen the best fit, mark on your calendar the deadlines for registration, deposit, and other requirements to ensure they don’t pass you by. Once the official requirements are met, you can begin preparation by making a checklist items or other things they may require (sports equipment, sleeping bags, art supplies, etc.). We also love this free, printable checklist for summer camp packing from Organize.com.

For those with children in their teens or early adult years, you can also assist with their summer plans, such as internships and part-time jobs. As with camps, these often fill up early, so it’s best to start the search now. We recommend collaborating with your older child on a strategy for identifying opportunities, developing necessary application documents, and conducting the actual search/interview process. Below are a couple of excellent resources for part-time job and internship searches.

Part-Time Jobs:

GroveJob.com

Collegiate Internships:

Internships.com Atlanta

No matter your specific plans for your children’s summer break, just remember that early preparation and organization is key.

- TWOW Team

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How to Organize Your Pantry

March 23, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

Spring is upon us. During the transition of seasons, not only do the types of clothing you wear change, but so too do the types of meals you prepare. At the same time you put away the sweaters, you also opt less for the soups and stews of winter. Here are steps you can take to get your pantry working for you and your kitchen in the most efficient and organized way!

First, look through the pantry for all out of date food items and remove. This will help you get a few quick wins under your belt and get some momentum going. While you work, keep a list of items that should be replaced.

Then, look through the pantry for those kitchen or entertaining related items that have been sitting on the shelf for more than a year and analyze whether it’s worth giving them valuable pantry space. Yes – the mini-chopper that’s too hard to clean, the tortilla maker you couldn’t figure out and the George Foreman grill you haven’t touched in three years should all go to the donate pile!

Use the top shelf for least needed or seasonal items, like slow cookers. Typically, we recommend that clients use the floor and first shelf for items like bulk-purchase drinks, paper towels and trash bags.

Make the middle shelf or most easy to reach shelf the snack and cereal station. If you have children who are allowed to choose items for themselves, this will give them easy access. Group cereal, crackers, granola bars and fruit snacks together.

Next begin choosing other shelves to group like-items. All canned goods (grouped by soup, vegetables, beans, etc.) Next group pastas, grains, and baking supplies together.

We find most clients have a profusion of lunch bags spilling out of the pantry. If this is true of your pantry, and must keep them all, find a nice basket to sit on one of the bottom shelves for storage.

We find a lot of clients with reusable grocery bags hanging out in the pantry as well. This is an item that should live in a little bin in your trunk so they are always with you when it’s time to shop. Once unloaded after a grocery store run, put the empty bags right back into the trunk!

Good luck, and enjoy!
-TWOW

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Organizing Children’s Artwork

March 20, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

Parents often ask how best to manage the ever-growing collection of artwork created by their children. While in parent’s eyes, every finger-painting is a masterpiece worth keeping for a lifetime, not everyone has the storage space to accommodate. The below list contains ideas for storage, organization, and alternative methods of preserving the manifestation of kids artistic talents.

STORAGE BOX: I often recommend that clients purchase one artwork box per child for the school year. When artwork comes home, determine which pieces are especially good and save them in the box. At the end of the school year, review the final collection and select several (3-5) pieces to keep permanently. Scan or photograph the rest before recycling.

SCANNING/PHOTOGRAPHING: Digitize your child’s artwork using a scanner for space-free preservation. Scanned art can then be digitally enjoyed as your computer’s screensaver or background image, in a Facebook album, or shared with relatives via email. Use computer files to categorize the artwork by grade-level or year. 3-D art can be photographed instead of scanned.

FRAMED DISPLAY: Use a DynamicFrame to give the masterpieces a proper display, while storing additional art behind the primary piece.

GIFT: With this strategy, you can gift artwork to extended family members so that they too have something to put on their fridge other great idea is to get balloon sculpting Singapore for the little ones. Invite the kids to include a special piece that they previously created each time you send a birthday present or holiday card.

REPURPOSE: There are many ways in which to re-purpose artwork so that you can keep the memory of the creation while eliminating the need for excess paper storage. Once a piece is digitized you can use the images to create personalized stamps, coffee mugs, artbooks, or a Pop Art canvas print from PhotoWOW.com.

Enjoy preserving your children’s treasures!

-TWOW

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Organizing Your Home Library

March 16, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

One of the most powerful symbols of accomplishment in our lives is the books that we’ve read and the library we’ve built. Most of the people I work with view their literary collection as the physical manifestation of their intellectual lives and experience. It is deeply important to them. At the same time many of my clients struggle to keep this collection organized and manageable over time. Many of you can relate and are probably faced with the question: how can I possibly part with any of my books? If you have the space, you don’t necessarily have to purge, but there are steps you can take to keep your collection organized, compact and visually appealing.

If you do find yourself in a position to purge your collection, it is important to recognize that this can be a highly emotional task. Take your time and set aside an hour or two on your weekend when you can have peace and quiet to evaluate what books are ready to leave your home.

In our condo my husband and I have two large Ikea bookshelves with doors for books. I use these two bookcases as the guide for how many books are appropriate for our house. Once we begin growing outside these bounds my husband and I know it is time to reassess what we have. I recommend the same idea to clients all the time.

Identify the bookcases or locations that you will be storing or displaying your books and use this as a guide to the volume of books you will be keeping.

Start with a quick scan of all of your books. There are usually a few things in everyone’s collection that they can pick out right away that can be donated and appreciated by someone else. Pull these and bag or box them immediately.

Next go through and select your absolute keeps. Set your timer and work in 15 minute chunks placing these books on the shelf.

I personally like to organize by subject on my shelves: business, fashion, literature, mystery novels, travel books, etc. Clients typically choose this simple method but some people find alphabetizing to make the most sense.

Books have been used by creative and design loving people for decades as décor. So for clients who value creativity and whimsy over ease of identification I can embrace your desire to make a display out of your treasures – go ahead and sort by color if you must! It really can look stunning in a living room but take my word for it – the search for a specific book can take an epically long time!

Finally, you will need to go through your question mark items and make decisions. This is the tough part for most clients and sometimes even for me. You likely have gift books in this pile as well as books you always intend to get to but never have. If you are tight on space, let them go. If the idea of the book is more appealing to you than the time it will take to read, let it go.

As an organizer I’m always going to advocate for donation over selling things. It’s simpler, you can take a tax write off and quickly remove items for your home. You can make a little money back and feel good about sending these valuables to a new home where the can be loved twice over by another reader by selling on Amazon. Reserve a shelf for these books and track them in a spreadsheet with the price you’re asking. Keep a small set of padded envelopes, tape and address labels, and set aside time on your Saturday morning to take sold books to the post office each week.

Stand back and take in your beautifully organized books!

Happy Reading from TWOW!

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Getting Ready for Spring: A Checklist

March 6, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

Spring is just around the corner. In order to help you prepare your home for the change in season, we’ve created the below checklist. Take care of these items now and you’ll be able to enjoy the warm weather without having to worry about last minute To-Do’s. And remember, residential cleaners Brisbane North is always here to help!

Inside:

Closet Changeover: Swap out prime closet positioning of seasonal winter items (sweaters, jackets, scarfs, etc.) for light-weight Spring clothing (shorts, skirts, bathing suits, etc.). While you’re at it, don’t forget about a shoe rotation (boots for flip flops, etc.). For a complete How-To Closet Changeover guide, check out this post.
Mattress Rotation: Ensure maximum lifespan by rotating per manufacturer guidelines.
Storage: Rotate winter items from main closets to the basement or attic. Replace with items used frequently during the Spring (sports equipment, pool toys, etc.).
Linen Changeover: Swap out heavy linens for light-weight options. After washing, store linens in air-tight containers to protect from moths and dirt.
Air Conditioners & Ceiling Fans: Remove and clean filters for AC units. If your air conditioner needs more thorough maintenance, contact Gilbert AZ HVAC maintenance for routine procedures and cleaning of your air conditioning. Clean and rotate ceiling fan blades down (if unit allows) for optimum cool air delivery.
Household Safety Device Checks: Conduct quarterly check of smoke and carbon monoxide monitor batteries.
Clean windows: Clean windows inside and out. Replace or repair broken screens prior to bug season. According to aussieoutdoor.com.au/blinds-shop-near-me/, the proper blinds can help reduce the amount of cleaning required.
Purging & Organizing: Take the seasonal opportunity to review and donate/trash items that are no longer used. Organize remaining items for optimum storage and access.
Expiration Dates: Conduct a sweep of your pantry, fridge, medicine cabinet, and makeup drawer. Discard any items that have passed their expiration dates.
Closed Spaces: Inspect basement and attic for mold and pests that may have taken up residence during the winter months.
Infrequent Cleaning: Conduct a thorough Spring clean of your home, including spaces and items that don’t usually make the list. These may include vacuuming under the furniture, professional cleaning of rugs & carpets, washing of blinds & curtains, deep cleaning of appliances and wiping down of walls, ceiling corners, and baseboards. Carpet cleaning Sacramento provides you with the finest carpet care.

(Source: Ready Set Maids Houston cleaning service).
Outside:

Roof: Inspect for winter damage. Have a professional conduct repairs where needed.
Grills: Inspect, clean, and condition BBQ’s and grills prior to first use. Secure a fresh propane tank, if necessary.
Prune, Mulch, & Plant: Prune dead branches and foliage, trim overgrown plants, and prepare the garden for planting by putting down a layer of mulch.
Gutters: Inspect gutters and clear debris where necessary. Pay special attention to the elbow corners where debris most often gets stuck. If gutter requires some repair work, contact Gettysburg gutter repair from Gettysburg Gutter Advantage.
Pool: Schedule an appointment for your pool maintenance firm to de-winterize the pool. Then secure a regular cleaning appointment with them for the warm months.
Patio Furniture/Outdoor Decorations: Remove from storage, assess for damage/wear, clean, and display.

For a more specific assistance contact Fort Collins septic tank pumping specialists.

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Reassess Your Resolutions

February 28, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

It’s the end of February! Time to reassess your New Year’s resolutions.

We ran a feature in our most recent newsletter about planning your goals for 2012. We wanted to help you plan in a way that will set you up for success over the course of the year. The end of February is the perfect time to evaluate what is and isn’t working and make positive adjustments to our goals! These adjustments can help get you back on track to achieving your organizational goals without abandoning them altogether.

I recommend taking just 30 minutes of quiet time during a weekend when you’re more likely to feel calm, rather than during the week when you may already be anxious due to work and home duties. In that half hour, pick out the resolutions that are completely off track. Are they relevant to where you are in your life anymore? If not, it’s okay to remove them from the list completely. Let them go. If the goal is still one you’d like to achieve, leave it on the list.

Remember to be realistic in how much time it will take to reach this goal and give yourself a little more time beyond that to get there. Reset your deadline and remember to work backward in setting your milestones. Check that newsletter for a crash course in doing this.

What else? Check back in with your buddy! Let her know that you’ve reassessed your resolutions and the goals you’d like to achieve have changed a bit, but you’ll still need her support in getting there. Set weekly check-ins with each other.

This is your year to reach your goals with diligence. At the same time, be gentle on yourself by performing a resolution reassessment every so often. Readjusting your 2012 to-do list will set you up for continued success over the rest of the year. Priorities change, and so should your goals!

Here’s to 2012, again!

-TWOW

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