well-organized | Claire Kurtz is The Well-Organized Woman

Planning a Well-Organized Vacation

May 29, 2012 By Claire 1 Comment

Summer has arrived, and that means it’s time to start planning that well-deserved and well-organized vacation with friends, family – or both! Though the anticipation of getting away can be motivating and exciting, organizing a trip can be downright overwhelming. It takes a lot of time to get all of the moving pieces together, but with the right order of operations, you can plan the perfect getaway with an eye towards organization and efficiency.

Luckily, the fun part comes first – choose your destination and the dates you’d like to depart and return. When choosing a destination, be sure to take into consideration the weather, price increases for peak seasons, and any deals that you may have access to (airline points, hotel rewards, etc.). From there, your to-do list should be categorized simply: hotels first, then flights, followed by activities and finally, packing.

When searching for hotels at your vacation destination, do your research. If you’re heading to a less-travelled place, spend some time online reading reviews and travel blogs to get a sense of what types of lodgings there are to suit your style. Tripadvisor.com has an author Patrick, who does a great job of rating and reviewing hotels with plenty of real feedback from previous guests. Whether you book through a discount site like hotels.com or through the place directly, I recommend calling the hotel to speak to the reservation staff and can give you helpful advice on what airports and ground transportation options are best. They can also provide recommendations for dining and activities in the area!

Now that you have intel on the best lodging, I suggest heading to a site like kayak.com that searches a number of travel sites to find you the best possible deal on flights to your destination. If you are connecting to another flight or heading to another airport to catch a second flight, make sure to build in the extra time you’ll need to make that connection. If your flight gets in later in the day, give your hotel the heads up that you”ll need late check in.

You’re on your way! Now you should head back to the internet to learn more about what you can do while you’re there. Many hotel websites have sections that recommend local activities, and a number of travel blogs (Johnny Jet, Time Travel, Frugal Travel Guy) can give you insider insight into the best way to make the most of your vacation. For those activities that require advanced planning, go ahead and make those reservations, so that you’re guaranteed the experience.

Now that your itinerary is laid out, you’ll have a better guide as to what you’ll need to pack and for what days you’ll need it. Creating a packing list in an excel sheet by family member will help you track what you have and what you’ll still need to purchase before your departure. In our previous post, we break down the packing process in detail. Give it a read and apply the tips and tricks that work best for you.

And finally, make your vacation count-down calendar! You’ll have something to look forward to as the departure date approaches, and you’ll also be able to set a timeline for when you need to have all items purchased and packed. An app like TripIt can also help keep all of your reservations in one place while on the vacation.

Bon voyage and happy summer!

How to Organize Your Car

May 25, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

If you’re an Atlanta resident, it’s likely that you spend much time in your car. Just like in your home, if you do not maintain an organizational strategy things can quickly get out-of-hand. Luckily, we have plenty of experience with helping to organize cars and have devised a simple 4 step strategy for getting things under control.

1. SORT & CLEAN: Remove everything from your car and sort through the items to determine what stays and what should be returned to the home. Ideally, you should keep only the essentials, including things you use on a daily basis and/or may need for emergencies. Clothing, personal items, work materials, and kids stuff should be returned to the home as much as possible. Once everything is out of the car, take some time to do a deep clean. It may be a rare opportunity to clean the carpets, bins, and compartments without the clutter, so take advantage.

2. CONTAIN: One of the keys to maintaining an organized car is to set yourself up for success by purchasing or utilizing certain products. A car size wastebasket will ensure that trash is not stuffed in random places. Bins or crates can be used in the trunk to hold umbrellas, emergency items, and other loose belongings. If you often transport sports equipment consider getting an separate box for these items. Finally, behind the seat pockets can hold items for children to easily access while sitting in back.

3. ORGANIZE: Once you have gotten the necessary organizing products, begin to refill the car with your belongings. As you do so, consider which items you will need to have easy access to and place them in closer spots. These can include change for tolls, tissues, sunglasses, and garage openers. Items with infrequent use can be stored in the trunk, under seats, and in storage compartments. This is also the time to ensure that your driving/car documents are stored together. A plastic lunch bag can easily contain these papers together in your glove compartment.

4. MAINTAIN: Keep your organizational strategy with a few simple maintenance tips. First, make a habit of removing unnecessary items from the car once per week. Choose one day when you know you will use the car, but also have spare time, and commit to clearing everything out upon parking at home. Second, when you’re filling up with gas, take a few moments to toss the trash and clean out the cup holders. Lastly, discuss with family members who also ride in the car the rules for taking items that they brought in with them, out when they leave.

Happy driving!
TWOW

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International Moves: How to Prepare & What to Do

May 22, 2012 By Claire 2 Comments

Recently, WOW has been assisting a client with her impending move to a foreign country. Although any move can be stressful, an international relocation adds much complexity to the process. It is important to prepare for such a move months ahead of time and maintain an organized strategy. To help with this, we have created the below list of tasks to address prior to your move. Follow this list and you’ll find yourself living in the new country without issues left over from the U.S.

Tasks to address in your current home:

Prepare home for move: cancel lease, sell home, engage renters, etc.
Contact utility companies and schedule service end-dates; arrange to pre-pay final bills or have a new billing address/system set up
Disengage services: maid, gardener, pool maintenance, etc.
Donate non-relocation items to Goodwill. Arrange for a pickup one week prior to move
Return any borrowed items and retrieve anything you’ve loaned to friends or neighbors
Pack house and all belongings. If shipping your belongings, be sure to pack with extra care

Tasks to prepare for the relocation:

Research your new location and secure housing
Request digital statements for all necessary incoming mail and bills
Make arrangements to obtain copies of school, medical, dental and veterinary records
Make preparations for schooling in the new city
Obtain list of all schools your kids attended and dates, including contact names and addresses, original transcripts or report cards, list of current text books and course outlines (This will assist you and the new teacher in determining what level your child is at), test results of tests, in particular any standardized exams, particularly for English, Maths and Sciences.
Determine if immunizations are required in order to enter new country
Double check that passports and travel documents are up-to-date
Prepare for communication in new country (international calling plan, etc.)
Secure an international drivers license, if necessary
Obtain insurance in new country (health, driving, personal, etc.)
Meet with an immigration official, if necessary, to discuss required documentation (visas)
Check with your account regarding tax requirements in the U.S.
Get custom forms for household goods if shipping
Arrange for access to funds while overseas (maintain one U.S. bank account)
Communicate your new forwarding address to family, friends, interested parties
Exchange some money prior to leaving for arrival expenses

Shipping Belongings vs. Selling/Leaving Everything:

Determine if you will be engaging an international shipping service or if you will sell all items prior to moving
Research at least 3 international freight companies that ship to your new location and compare estimates
Make a list of all items being shipped, including values
Purchase shipping insurance
Prepare to have items packed and ready up to 3 days before pickup
Confirm destination location, pickup/drop-off procedures, tracking, and contract details
Research airline baggage policy to ensure maximum allowances are not exceeded if bringing many belongings via commercial airlines

Items to carry on the plane:

Hard-to-replace documents: passports, birth certificates, immunization records, ID’s
Jewelry and other valuables
Medications
1-2 days worth of clothing and toiletries

Good luck with your exciting journey and moving company!

For more information on stress free moving, please, visit http://thewellorganizedwoman.com/2012/05/22/international-moves-how-to-prepare-what-to-do/.

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Shoe Storage & Organization

May 8, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

We often receive questions about the best way to organize and store shoes. While there is no ‘right’ way, there are certain steps that you can take to ensure success when designing your shoe organization strategy.

First, take an assessment of your shoe collection and storage space and ask yourself the following questions.

How many pairs do you have?
What types do you have (heels, flip-flops, flats, large or small sizes)?
How many more do you think you will acquire in the near future?
Do you have a large space or small space for storage?
Is there a dedicated shoe area or will storage need to be creative?
Do you have space for seasonal shoe storage or does everything need to fit in one place?

At this time you should also determine if any shoes can or will be purged before implementation of the new organization strategy. Once you have thoroughly assessed the situation, take a look at our list of favorite storage solutions below and select one that will work for your collection and space.

Our Favorite Shoe Storage Solutions:

The modular shoe organizing system can be scaled up or down depending on needs.
Clear shoe boxes protect shoes from dust and work well on built-in shoe shelves. For easy shoe identification, consider taping a photo of the shoes to the front of the box.
The 30 Pair Overdoor Organizer is great for those with limited space. Place on the back of your closet or bathroom door for discrete and space-saving storage.
Shoe cubbies are excellent for closets that only have room below the hanging racks.
Under-bed chests can be used to store out-of-season shoes in an efficient manner.
The 10 tier (50 pair) rolling rack may be a good solution for those with larger collections and amounts of space.
Boot holders are designed for hanging closet rod storage and help with shape maintenance.

No matter which storage solution you purchase, it’s important to take the time to arrange your shoes in a manner that promotes function and organization. Ideally, shoes that are worn most often should be stored in the most accessible space, front and center. Shoes that are seasonal or rarely worn should be housed in the less accessible spots (back, sides, high, low). If possible, group like shoes together. For example, all flip flops and sandals are on one shelf and all heels are on another. Finally, take care to protect your collection by utilizing accessories like cedar shoe trees, which help to retain shape and minimize odor.

Happy Organizing!
TWOW

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Beauty Products: Organization & Storage

April 24, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

Last week our blog focused on the medicine cabinet. This week, we’ll discuss another area of the bathroom that can easily become disorganized and out-of control, your beauty product drawer. Just like your medicines, proper storage of your beauty products can ensure safety and longevity. First, we’ll start out with a few basic tips.

1) Keep makeup in a dark, cool, and dry place in order to minimize degradation.
2) Hold to makeup expiration guidelines and you’ll decrease your risk of infection and/or undesirable effects (sunburns from use of expired sunscreen). An easy way to remember when products will expire is to label the product with date it will go bad (see photo). Use this list by Good Housekeeping to determine opened product expiration time-frames.
3) Don’t forget about applicator cleanliness. Just as makeup can harbor dangerous bacteria, so too can your brushes and sponges. Make sure to set aside time every couple of weeks to clean these items with appropriate solutions.

Once you are ready to organize your makeup, we recommend the following strategy. First, remove all products from your storage area or container. Review the contents and determine which to keep (currently in use), trash (expired/empty) or donate (unopened/new products). It’s common for women to stockpile beauty products, particularly freebies from hotels or gift-with-purchases; the problem is that most go permanently unused. Use this organizing process as a chance to clear these types of items out of your storage space.

The next step is to group like items together. Brushes with brushes, face products with face products, and so on. If you have different types of beauty products for different seasons, group them together and consider storing out-of-season items in a less accessible spot. For instance, you may not need your bronzer taking up prime real estate during the summer months when you have a natural glow.

Once you have categorized your collection, determine what type of containing system will work best for you. There is no perfect solution, but popular options include small drawer systems, trays, stacking bins, apothecary jars, chests, and bags for women who frequently travel. Ideally, the storage system should have multiple compartments to house your various categories. After organizing everything in it’s new homes, consider labeling the compartments for easy-returning of items.

This process should ideally be conducted once every 2-3 months to maintain continued organization.

Good Luck!
TWOW

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Managing Your Medicine Chest

April 20, 2012 By Claire 1 Comment

It is often easy to let your medicine cabinet get out of control, because the items are tucked away behind the mirrors over your sink or the door of the linen closet. Sometimes we say, ‘If I can’t see the mess, it’s not there, right?’ Wrong! It’s a good idea to give a bit of thought and structure to the medicines in our lives because they contribute to a very important aspect of our lives, our health. With a few simple steps you can avoid missing doses, taking expired pills, and losing prescriptions.

First, let’s talk about purging the old prescriptions that you no longer use. Go through each of your bottles and pull out the ones with expired dates or any one-time prescriptions that you won’t need again. Place them in a bag and put them aside for a weekend day when you’ll have time to donate them. That’s right, I said donate! Just like your old clothing, you can also give your old prescriptions away. Most cities have drop off events sponsored by the DEA where trained staff members collect and dispose of your medications in a way that complies with Federal regulations. As long as you keep prescriptions in their original bottles and do not mix pills, you are able to donate. Check this site for rules and information by state.

Now, let’s organize the medicine cabinet itself. I like to recommend to my clients that they reserve a separate shelf or space each for morning meds and evening meds, and then alphabetize the prescriptions for ease of use. If you are managing the prescriptions for several family members, try keeping each person’s meds in different bathrooms or shelves to avoid confusion. And of course, keep bottles out of reach from small, curious children.

Once you clean out the unnecessary and old items, use small containers to organize the everything else housed in the space. For added storage, I love magnetic or adhesive bins that affix to the back wall or door. They utilize regularly unusable space and offer additional storage in a fun way.

For medicines or vitamins that you take when you’re on the go, consider buying a pill box that is separated by day of the week and/or time of the day. Take a few minutes on Sunday evening to dole out the pills in their proper slot and stick the pill keeper in your purse. If you have meds like birth control pills, for example, that must be taken at the same time each day, place that pack in your purse, on top of your toothpaste, or another place that you visit daily to keep it top of mind.

If forgetting your doses is something you struggle with, try placing a note on your bathroom mirror for a week to remind you to open the cabinet – this will help to make it a part of your morning or evening routine. You can even set a reminder on your smartphone if you are particularly busy or forgetful.

Taking a few moments to set yourself up for health success will make quite a difference in your home and your life. Spend a few minutes and take control of your medicine chest this week and you’ll be glad you did!

Happy organizing!

-TWOW

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Organized Moving: A Checklist

April 17, 2012 By Claire Leave a Comment

Many of our clients have recently moved into new homes. While a move can be an exciting event, it can also trigger many chores and responsibilities. In an effort to keep you organized and minimize the stress associated with moving, we have created a basic checklist of tasks to execute before, during, and after a move. There are also some packing tips you can follow. In our experience, preparing for these common issues and needs can help to create an easy transition.

4-6 Weeks Before the Move:

Research and book a moving company or organize for friends and family to help.
Purchase or acquire moving supplies. Moving supply stores are great, but if you’re on a budget you can usually find free boxes behind major retail stores.
Sort, organize, and purge while you pack. Ensure an easy move, by carefully labeling boxes with room and contents.
Create a moving list inventory and organize a strategy of what will go where.
Measure your current furniture and the new space to ensure you have enough room. Door dimensions and tight corners should also be taken into consideration.
Investigate new professional service providers and organizations that you may need and set up relationships. These can include doctors, dentists, schools, vets, pharmacies, banks, etc.
If you are moving in or out of an apartment building, secure the elevator for your moving day. And ensure to leave the apartment, through Maid2Match, as clean as it was when you first moved in. If your moving truck will need to block anything or park in a designated area, make the necessary arrangements and notify those affected.

1-2 Weeks Before the Move:

If repairs or improvements are needed in the new home, attempt, if possible, to get them done prior to the move. They will go more smoothly without furniture or family members interrupting.
Set up a change of address with us-mailing-change-of-address.com and notify your subscriptions and bill providers directly. This is also the time to send out moving announcements to friends and family.
Call utility companies (gas, electric, water, garbage, sewage) and organize for the new home to be switched into your name. Schedule a turn-on time for the new place and turn-off time for the current home. Don’t forget to ask the waste management company what day pickup occurs.
Research cable, internet, and phone providers in your new area. Set up appointments for service installation.
Start using up perishable items and liquids that can be difficult to move. Throw out flammable or potentially toxic items prior to the move.
Procure or update items pertaining to your address, including insurance policies, car registration, voter registration, and driver’s license. (Read here to find out how a risky borrower can get car finance).
Empty, defrost, and clean your fridge 24 hours before the move to ensure there will be no leakage.

Moving Day:

Verify licenses of movers if applicable.
Prepare payment, including tips for the movers.
Pack snacks and drinks and/or order lunch for those helping you move.
Organize for a cleaning crew to come following the movers departure from the old home.
Leave all sets of keys and garage door openers in the old home when you are officially out.
Take a wrap up inventory to ensure nothing is missing or broken, prior to signing any close of move documents.

Following the Move:

Replace smoke and carbon monoxide batteries. Mark the next replacement on your calendar.
Consider having locks re-keyed for safety.
Locate your circuit breaker box, water shut-off valve, and fire extinguishers for emergency purposes.
Create a filing system for documents related to the new home. The following categories are useful: warranties/purchases, insurance policies, repairs/home improvement, and tax write-offs for moving related expenses.
Determine if you need any new storage items, furniture, or other household goods in the new home to create organization from the start.
Ask neighbors for referrals for pool maintenance firms, gardeners, and cleaning services. Since they are already in the neighborhood, you can often get a discount.

Remember, the key to a successful move is organization and planning.

Good Luck and visit this site for more information.
TWOW

Reference: Northern Lights Exteriors.

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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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