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November is always an exciting time in my home town. Festive, lots of visitors and so much to do.

This year my son is away at college and things are a bit different around my home. Looking forward to his visit home.

What are you thankful for this year? I started Neat in January 2021  and it has been one of my greatest experiences.

I’m thankful for the clients that have believed in me, allowed me to work with them and all the new people I have met because of Neat. I’m thankful for my friends, my son and my family who have been a constant support.

I’m thankful for you, my followers who encourage me and believe in Neat.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving.

I can do it myself…….

Yes, you absolutely can. But, you might struggle to stay focused. Phone rings, family needs your immediate attention, feeling overwhelmed as what to do with all this stuff! Hiring an organizer will help you move past these obstacles so your home actually gets organized. I have many systems and routines that will fit in your home or business and keep you on track with staying organized.

Embarrassed about someone seeing my unorganized clutter!

This one I hear almost every time I’m hired to get a client organized. Absolutely, nothing fazes me. I see opportunities in an unorganized area. When I walk into a clients home/business I immediately analyze each space and ask questions to find out how I can help make changes to their “mess” Hiring me is confidential and a no-judgment zone.

 I can’t afford to hire a pro-organizer.

Getting organized is an investment. If you implement the systems and habits I suggest hiring an organizer could be a one-time investment. In the long run, you will save money and time. 

I organize and teach you organization systems so you can have peace of mind. I create organized zones in your life so you can focus on what matters most ♥

Heading into the Fall and the holidays right around the corner there are obvious reasons to organize your house.

These are great motivators for getting organized, but the best reason is an organized home is your foundation!

• So you know what you have and where to find it.
• So you don’t buy duplicate items, (can’t find so buy another and a week later find….) i.e. save money.
• Efficient in your space.

I’ve witnessed many times with clients a transformation that happens when we organize their space. A cluttered, unorganized space feels heavy and frantic. A neat space feels calm and can actually inspire efficiency. The impact our home has on us is real. Getting Decluttered, Neat and Organized works like this~

• Decluttering or (purge) is a super important step, in most cases if organizing is a challenge it’s because you have too much stuff. FYI; I never encourage clients to let go of things that are important and meaningful to them but we do talk about what’s most important and necessary.
• Containing items, everything has a home, having a designated space for our belongings make it maintainable.

This is the best part, you can choose containers, baskets, bins that add beauty to any space. And, never forget labels, which provide clarity to you and anyone using that space. 

Happy September and Happy Fall 2021! Let’s end 2021 Organized.

You can’t organize until you declutter. You have to decide whether the items in your space are actually clutter or not. Let me help you decide where they belong and to take action on that decision.

Many people cannot do this on their own, so they hire a professional organizer.

Decluttering is best done in stages. Focusing on one area, room or even one space within a room at a time like your bathroom drawers or cabinets is a great first step. Completing the declutter of one area fully before moving on to the next is important so you don’t get overwhelmed with all of your decluttering tasks.

What items do you need to declutter your home?

Four boxes or baskets (something you already have) is fine, this is strictly for the purpose of decluttering.

• DONATE BOX – For items you can donate to another person or charity.
• TRASH – To throw away items immediately.
• SELL – To sell to a local resale shop, FB marketplace, eBay etc.
• KEEP – To relocate items to the right location in your home or business.

You can bring these bins/boxes/baskets into each room or choose to keep in a central location while you declutter.

LIVING ROOM

Let’s start with the LIVING ROOM – One of the most difficult rooms to keep neat & organized on a daily basis is the Living Room.

Start with deciding on permanent storage spaces for commonly used items such as remote controls, magazines, books and mail. Declutter this living space regularly.

Storage Ideas for Living Rooms:

• Bookcase or open shelves
• Storage ottoman
• Armories, sideboards 
• Wall-mounted shelves 
• Trunks; which can also be used as tables.
• Dressers can be used in living rooms/den areas for storage. 
• Stylish boxes, baskets, bins. 

BATHROOMS

• Remove everything from drawers and cabinets. Throw away all outdated medicine, makeup and skincare products. Do the same thing with items around your tub and closet. 
• Keep counters clutter free. 
• Use inside of cabinet doors for storage, over door organizers, command hooks, clear storage containers that stick directly to cabinet doors. 
• Use drawer dividers. I’m a huge fan of drawer dividers. Items can easily get lost in a drawer, dividers help give everything a home. 
• Use acrylic containers. I really like clear containers. The clear design allows you to easily see what’s inside. 
• If multiple people use one bathroom, add command hooks for towels and labels for containers. Labels for kids work great. They can never tell you they don’t know where something is! 

KITCHEN

Everything has a home. Declutter the refrigerator, cabinets, drawers and pantry first. Throw away all outdated items.

My kitchen is the most organized area in my home. I donated a lot of multiple items from my kitchen. I mean do you really need multiple blenders, coffee makers and hand mixers? Pull everything out and purge. It’s important to see everything and start with a blank slate.

• Clean and sanitize your counters, drawers, cabinets and refrigerator. 
• Install hanging racks for pots and pans to free up cupboard space. 
• Drawer organizers, drawer dividers, baskets, bins, labels, containers. 
• Utilize door, cabinet and pantry space. Use hooks, over door organizers, Lazy Susans (which are great for refrigerators, under sinks and cabinets. 
• Use the side of your cabinets for hanging organizers, don’t let any space in your kitchen go to waste. If you have cabinets with exposed sides use them. Add rail hooks or even a shelf. 
• Get rid of unnecessary packaging. Half-empty bags of sugar, twist-tie bags of rice create visual clutter. Containers make a big difference. 
• Add rolling racks to your existing cabinets. FACT – I have found drawers are almost always better than cabinets. You can purchase these to add to your cabinets almost anywhere. 
• Keep counter space clutter-free.

CLOSETS

• Store clothes by category. Keep like items with like items. Store all your summer dresses alongside each other, keep your jeans separate from your dress pants.
• Hang everything you own. Remember, if you haven’t worn it in a season, (last summer) you probably won’t wear it this summer. It’s time for that tank top or sundress to go bye-bye from your closet. 
• If you have enough space to hang, hang it all! Hang everything facing the same direction, shorter items then longer items. 
• Use coordinating hangers. Nothing screams closet chaos more than plastic hangers. 
• If limited on hanging space, stack bulky items like sweaters and sweatshirts. 
• Use storage containers and boxes for your drawers for an organized and neat look. Things like undergarments, workout shorts and tanks. 
• Keep your shoes off the floor. Sort shoes into seasonal categories. Purchase shoe bins, use clear shoe boxes with lids. Store high heels at the top of your closet. Store flats, flip flops and slip-ons in over the door organizers. 

Thanks for letting me help you declutter your home. Please, keep NEAT in mind for all your organizing needs.

I found something I love and I’m making a living doing it! ♥️

I’ve been often asked why I chose to change careers and start a business as a Professional Organizer. Here is my story.

I lost my Mom to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in 2009. Prior to her death, her belongings were moved out of her home by a moving company. She lived in a two-story, and could no longer climb the stairs due to the debilitating effects of ALS. The moving company literally packed away her life in one day. They wrapped her furniture in plastic without removing drawer contents and picked up items throughout the house. Her clothes, kitchen and knick-knacks were stored away and taken to a storage unit.

We moved her into a rental home in 2008. She passed away on July 31st, 2009.

The entirety of her life was left in that storage unit until January 2020… 12 years and a lot of money later. It was the biggest weight on me. Every year, I said, “THIS YEAR I’m getting rid of the storage unit.” And yet, another year went by.

In January of 2020, I hired a moving company and unloaded everything. It took me and four movers a total of eight hours to complete. To go through everything took over a month. A very emotional journey indeed! My next step was to declutter, donate, keep and sell. This was another goodbye to my mom.

I don’t want another person to have their belongings packed away in drawers or boxes. I also don’t want for someone to face years of storage unit fees. I realized how therapeutic this was for me and that I enjoy the feeling of decluttering, removing, clearing and organizing spaces.

One summer afternoon in 2020, I was cleaning and decluttering a closet. I was sorting stuff to keep, donate and sell. It was like a light bulb turned on. I thought that this is what I want to do for other people. I didn’t know anything about Professional Organizing, how to start a business or run a business, but I knew what I did for myself, I wanted to do for others.

Neat, Professional Organizers was established in November 2020, and  launched in January of 2021. I spent months reading, researching and learning all the different fields of organization. I haven’t stopped nor looked back. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for myself. 

My heart is truly in helping people get organized and be neat.