A Case for the Suitcase!

We all have them and they are so useful when we need them, so let's give them some TLC and get them ready for the fun every summer brings!

Most of us come home from our trips so tired and with our minds already spinning on what needs to be done, what was left unfinished, that all we do is to get our belongings out and store the poor suitcases back in the black whole of basements, storage rooms and garages.

True that luggage these days can be inexpensive, but that's no reason to be careless, after all we want them to last as long as possible. And, if you are a lucky one who uses high quality, brand suitcases, one more reason to take care of them.

Now, go to your storage area, pull your suitcases out and open them, one by one. Check for "leftovers" - you might even find some special memories from your last trips in here! Check for spills, damaged wheels and handles, torn fabric and check if they're still safe to tote your cute outfits and treasured finding from your next trip around the globe. If you have travel accessories, like clothing organizers, totes and toiletries, bottles for your cosmetics check if they are clean and ready to go.

Now that you have accessed everything, make a list of what you need to do or if anything needs replacement, plan your budget for it. It may be a simple cleanup inside the luggage or a full wash of a toiletry bag with spills. Just bring the item to your laundry area and when you run another load, make sure it goes in.

If your suitcases are damaged, you may need to replace it. Don't fret! This is a great time to look into department and specialty stores, when they are running sales on travel gear or just bringing out their last collections.

Have fun, plan a nice vacation and stroll that suitcase around like a pro!

Wishing you a great week!

Helena - A Personal Organizer.
www.apersonalorganizer.com

Giving our bathrooms some TLC!

I hope that by now you are already enjoying closets that are more functional, practical and that have room to welcome those nice summer dresses you have been flirting with.

Today we’ll tackle the bathrooms! Those spaces many times overlooked, that get as much action as our beloved kitchens. And it will fast and easy!

Make yourself comfortable in front of your cabinets and pull out everything that is stored in there.

Take a look at each of your products and check for the expiration date. If you find something that you haven’t used in the last year, most likely you won’t use it in the next one, so be honest and throw it away. Also discard all products that have expired and put aside medication that are not in use anymore as well as past due date.

Now that you have been through all your products, look for what you have and see if you could organize it in small containers, creating groups like: face, body, hair, make-up, first-aid, hair accessories and anything else you find that can help you organize your products.

If you have girls, you know the amount of hair accessories you have there. Great containers for these items are the Snapware, stackable ones, with snaps on the sides and one lid on the top. You can organize them by type, by color or by owner and they will always stay neat inside, without spill overs in the cabinets.

In the past we were told to flush all expired or unused drugs in the toilet and down the drain; however contamination in the water supplies have changed the guidelines issued by the EPA, Dept. of Health and Human Services and other agencies for the procedures on how to discard these items. In this case:

-       Don’t flush drugs in the toilet unless the information that came with it advises to do so.

-       When discarding both prescription and non-prescription medication first crush pills and dilute liquid medication, then mix them with coffee ground, dirt, kitty litter and place it in closed plastic bag before discarding it.

-       Make sure to remove all the personal information from the containers.

-       Look for places in your community that would collect the expired medications. From time to time, large pharmacy chains hold campaigns for that purpose.

-       Your pharmacist is a great source of information, in case you still unsure about what to do with your expired medication

Now, off to the towels! Do the same with your towels and check for the ones that have spots, holes or that are just so old that you can see through it. Set them aside and if they are in “dignity condition”, put them in your car for donation, if they are just too old, use them as rags for cleaning.

Look around your bathrooms and see if you need to remove anything, like a painting which frame got damaged, a mirror that is broken, and a curtain that has seen better days and clean up.

Give yourself a treat and make your bathroom look like a spa. Put a glass jar filled with your favorite soaps on you counter or a candle with your favorite scent and your space is now clean and organized, your self-care time will be so much pleasant!

And remember, when it comes to counter tops, less is more!

Kids Bedrooms: Assessing the Room and Figuring Out Solutions

Kids Bedrooms: Assessing the Room and Figuring Out Solutions

It's clean up time! How does it go in your house?

Avoid confusion in the bathroom and make self-care time a breeze!
Assign each child a color for toothbrushes and towels.

This is my kids dental care container. It may not always stay perfectly organized, but it teaches them that everything has a home.

You are planting seeds, they will harvest in the future!

Have a wonderful day!

A Time of Renovation & Generosity.





 

 

It’s warmer and it feels like Spring is officially here. We are back from Spring break; life is taking a new rhythm.

After so many months indoors, it finally comes the time of the year when I feel most motivated to go through every single room of the house and do a top-to-bottom, good clean up, making it ready to open the doors to let this new time come in.

So, let’s embrace this moment of renovation, when Nature is generously providing for us and set on a journey for a great soul cleansing experience. We’ll go on small steps and next thing you know, your house will be de-cluttered, organized and you’ll be so proud of yourself.

Closets

-    Bring out your sweaters, heavy pants, and jackets and make an inspection to see what needs to be washed or dry cleaned before you put it away until Fall comes around again. Don’t feel tempted to skip this part and you won’t regret the small investment of time or money taking care of your winter favorites. Storing them without care is the easiest way to invite moths to ruin your clothes.

-    Store your coats in garment bags. Moths can’t make through them and it will protect your toasty ones for years to come.

-    If you store your winter items out of your closet, make sure the drawers, chest, containers they’ll be in for the next months are clean and dry.

-    Avoid using mothballs. They smell terribly and are unhealthy for you and unsafe for kids. Instead, use cedar balls or herbal sachets.

-    Now that you made some room, give your closet a cleanup! After months of use, dust is sure to settle. So, if you don’t do it on a regular basis, this is a great time to start. Dust and vacuum every corner and your clothes will be happier!

-    Shoes & Boots – Clean these hard working friends from all the salt, dirt and mud, and they will be ready for you when your feet start begging for some higher indoor temperatures again.

-    They kept you warm and pretty during winter; now put your gloves, scarves and hats to rest. Clean and store them in plastic bags, containers and you’ll have new room in the closet again.

-    Linen – Get your heavy comforters and favorite blankets and take them to the dry-cleaner. It is a small investment when compared to the price of a new one.

I hope you enjoy these little tasks this week and now that you are at it, go through your kids closets and do the same there. I'll help you through the next rooms in our next blog.

If your youngest child has outgrown his/her shoes & clothes, it’s a great opportunity to recycle them, giving it to someone who can make good use of it or hold a great garage sales with your kids.

And if you have shoes to spare, donate or that you don’t care for anymore, please, contact me.  NAPO has partnered with Soles4Souls® and Professional Organizer around the country are working together to bring shoes to those in need.

Soles4Souls® is a shoe charity that collects gently worn shoes and monies to provide shoes to those in need. The donation of shoes gives someone the hope for a better tomorrow. Donating shoes to Soles4Souls shoe charity is a great way to recycle shoes. Donate shoes today.

Want an even easier way to help? Just go to the link below and "like" the Northside USA Facebook page and they will donate one pair of shoes to Soles4Souls! Can't get easier than that! 

http://www.soles4souls.org/news/2011/04-21/triple-t-trading-northside-and-soles4souls-team-up

Always grateful and wishing you a wonderful day!

Helena

A Personal Organizer.

Kids Bedrooms: Simple Ways to Declutter and Organize

Kids Bedrooms: Simple Ways to Declutter and Organize

So you have a nest? Your First Space

Having our first place it’s a wonderful moment of accomplishment and also one of doubts on how to make things work, so let me give you an upper hand with tips on the practical side of life, so you don’t trip on your clothes while looking for your keys on your way out the door for the big day!

Whether you have just moved in or you’re already in place, you want to make sure your space is working to your advantage. So, let’s stop and make a quick plan on how you can use your space. Think of your routines and you’ll see you need a place to:

Get in and get out: make sure you have a place for your things as you walk in and you won’t spend a minute looking for them on your way out!

Most of us don’t like to carry the purse, bags, files, keys all the way into to their proper places and they end up on a pile somewhere. So, unless you are super disciplined you’ll end up losing time later, looking for all the things you “lost” on your way in. Have a beautiful bowl or small container for your keys, wallet, and sunglasses at the entry. A hook for your purse and a place to sit and protect your “toesies”, really it’s all you need here.

Looking good before you head out – If you spent time and money shopping for your beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories, now it’s time to honor your investment by organizing your closet in a way that helps you find what you want and never feel you spent so much and still don’t have anything to wear. Organize your garments by type and then by color. We all like friends, so do your pants! If possible, spend some time on a weekend and “edit” your outfits, call a friend if you want and then write them down or make photos with your phone, this way morning time will be a breeze. 

Create the habit of putting your clothes away or into the laundry bag as soon as you change and you won’t have to spend your precious weekend hours doing this chore.

Feed your tummy & your cravings – Like for most things in life, to eat healthy and on a budget, you will need a plan. Otherwise, you will be hungry and most likely will jump in a bowl of junk food. Not good for your health, your pocket or the glow of your skin! A 20 minute investment before starting the week to plan what you’ll have for dinner will save you time and money. Make a quick list of the foods you like and plan for about 4 meals. These are 2 great websites I find very easy to use: Everyday Food and How to Cook Everything. If you are vegetarian, my favorites are again, Mark Bittman’s book and Anna Thomas’ Love Soup

And believe me, if I can cook, so can you!
http://www.marthastewart.com/everyday
http://www.howtocookeverything.tv/
http://www.vegetarianepicure.com

Feed your brain & your Twitter feeds: You want a spot in your place to be home for your work, books and all your documents, bills, policies, warranties and all the things related to your living. You may want to start with a small file box or a file drawer, but you should have a system in place to be organized. Here are a few categories you should have in mind: Personal, Professional, Finances. Choose files you like and you’ll enjoy creating your own system. You can look for systems like Joys or file in a box, to give you a frame to work with. Plus, you’re just starting; it will be quick and simple!

Create enough space to store your papers, magazines, books exploring the heights of your walls. Tall bookshelves will make use of otherwise unused space and you’ll have plenty of space on your desk or table to sit and work.

Make your space clean: well, long are gone the days your mom was the one responsible for the care of your home, now, really, it is on you and I’m sure that like most people, you too will enjoy a fresh and clean house.

I like to use small baskets with all I need to keep my home in shape and I use good on the eyes ones, so I don’t have to hide them. Here is what you need:

Kitchen:

§  multipurpose surface cleaner

§  oven cleaner

§  sponge & towels

Bath:

§  shower, tub & tile cleaner

§  toilet bowl cleaner

§  glass cleaner

§  wipes

Around the house:

§  duster ( I love the microfiber Fuzzi Mitten @ The Container Store)

§  Dust pan & broom

§  Vacuum cleaner

My favorite brands, because they deliver and I don’t have to wear a mask to use them are: Mrs. Meyers, Seventh Generation and Clean, from Martha Stewart.
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/


Make a list of all the products you need in the house, from tooth-paste and toilet paper to laundry detergent, print it and keep it handy. As you need more of them, just mark it and you’re ready for your weekly shopping trip.


I hope this will help you feel on control and make your daily routine a little easier on you. I truly believe when things are in place, you have more time for what you really love, or at least the time to find out what tickles your soul!




I wish you a wonderful day!




Helena, A Personal Organizer.
www.apersonalorganizer.com
@HelenAlkhas