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The NAPO National Conference was held in Pittsburgh, PA this year, and I was fortunate enough to attend. While there, I couldn’t help but reflect on how grateful I was to have the opportunity to travel with my colleagues and learn from some of the best! My motto is to always have an ‘attitude of gratitude,’ and below are a few of my ‘takeaway’ gifts.

The first gift I received was back in December 2016 at our NAPO-GPC holiday party when I was chosen as the recipient of the NAPO-GPC scholarship. This scholarship enables one qualifying member to attend the conference. Most don’t realize that although I had sent in payment, early on, to reserve my spot, I had been debating on pulling out of going due to other family commitments. Upon the advice of my friend and colleague, she suggested that I wait until after our holiday gathering to make my decision. I am so grateful that I took her advice!

The second gift I received was the undisputed educational opportunity to grow personally and professionally. The keynote speaker was Jones Loflin, and he presented “How To Blossom Even In Times Of Change.” He spoke about the need to cultivate, prune, and accept change. He also spoke to us about the ability to harvest even in times of change. I walked away from his address with a newfound appreciation for growth, and I am looking forward to implementing his examples and expertise. I had the opportunity to choose from many ‘breakout sessions’ and a few of my favorites were the TED Talk Discussion – ‘Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator’ facilitated by our very own Debbie Lilliard, ‘How to Get and Keep Media Attention’ by Paula Rizzo and Terri Trespicio (the dynamic duo), ‘Busily Unproductive’ by Zachary Sexton, and ‘9 Technology Tools to Skyrocket Productivity’ by Amy Payne and Brooks Duncan. Honestly, it was not an easy decision as there were well over 45 sessions to choose from.

Lastly, and most importantly, the greatest gift I received was the ever-present ‘collaboration over competition‘. I have always felt this with my local GPC chapter, but to experience this with well over 600 attendees was astounding. Our NAPO National motto has always been “together we are better,” and to be amongst my peers and feel their sincere desire to see me grow professionally and personally is the greatest gift by far.

Believe it or not, it has taken me over three years to convince someone very near and dear, to let me help get her closet in order. And, she has recommended me to many of her friends and family. Go figure. Let me elaborate: for the past three years, I have continually heard:
• “I am so frustrated with getting dressed in the morning!”
• “I can’t seem to get out of the house on-time!”
• “I just don’t know what to wear!”
• “I never used to have this issue. Putting outfits together was not a problem, before.”

My response was always, “Why don’t I come over and help you?” Her reply was always, “No, you’ll make me get rid of too many things I really like!”

Nothing could be further from the truth. No worthwhile professional organizer should have an aggressive, ‘It’s my way or the highway attitude.’ Coming into anyone’s home like a steamroller is contrary to the nature of our profession. Working with those who need some organizational strategies is a delicate process. All that’s required is motivation, trust, transparency, an open mind to change, and a friend to help.

Recently, this same person had been invited to a wedding. What she asked of me was the opportunity I was looking for. She wanted me to help her choose an outfit, from her wardrobe for the occasion.  Together, we chose the dress, jewels, purse, and shoes. She thanked me graciously and told me she had so many clothes, it was stressful getting dressed each morning. I suggested the both of us go through everything she had on hand and do some ‘Spring Wardrobe Cleaning.’  She was so excited and blurted out, “Can we start now?

First, I asked her to go through her closet and remove any items that have not been worn in the last 6 months to a year. We accumulated a pile of about fifteen pieces, which we put aside for donation. Then I suggested she try on each remaining item, while keeping in mind style, comfort, and flattering fit. Moving on, we removed all items that were not in season. This, in and of itself, freed a lot of space in her closet. Lastly, I coordinated numerous outfits for her which consisted of multiple tops to be worn with her selection of slacks or skirts. I moved the coordinated outfits to one side of her closet and categorized what was left by item and color on the other side.

Her only negative concern was the clothes to be donated. That quickly dissipated as I explained that I would handle dropping them off. She was extremely grateful for the gentle nudge especially after I explained how rewarding it is to donate to those less fortunate. The sense of relief she felt was obvious and palpable. We still have to conquer the bureau drawers and fall closet, but I’m not a bit concerned. With the success of the ‘initial purge,’ from here on it’s just a matter of baby steps.

With being a mother of three boys, it comes as no surprise that we have a toy box ‘filled to the brim’ with LEGOs. That’s right, every color, shape, and size ever put on the market from 1998 until 2010. I have over 12 years of memories concealed in this toy box. So, when my boys suggested that we ‘get rid’ of the LEGOs, I admit that my heart sank a little bit. Immediately, I thought of the countless hours my boys spent imagining, creating, and building their creations and my constant amazement how these little blocks could hold one’s attention for so long. The actual toy box was my husband’s from his childhood. This in and of itself is a family ‘heirloom.’ So, does it make sense to discard this ‘treasure trove’ that I hold so dear? You would think that as a Professional Organizer it would be a ‘no brainer’…not so much.

Do I purge on a regular basis? Yes. Although it comes naturally to me, I do try and live what I so often preach to my clients. “If it is no longer useful to you, why not bless someone with what you are no longer using?” Well, every now and then, sentimentality wins out. I am as sentimental as the next person and treasure certain items dearly. That being said, every item cannot and should not fall under this category. So, how does one choose?

First, you should ask yourself if the item holds good memories and brings you joy. If so, find a spot in your home to enjoy this treasure. Over the years, I have been gifted with many items from family, but have only kept what is useful to me. Take for instance your grandmother’s china. Maybe you have another set of fine china that appeals to you. If this is the case, donate or gift your grandmother’s set to someone else.

Second, take your storage space into consideration when deciding on what to keep. It does not take long for clutter to accumulate, and there is nothing worse than living in a cluttered environment. Also, if you can’t find the treasures when you want to use them, why hold onto them in the first place?

So, you’re probably wondering if I still have the white, wood toy box. The answer is yes! While my boys obviously don’t partake in building with LEGOs any longer, I have had on occasion, certain visitors who have enjoyed them. Also, it is located in our basement that was once our ‘toy room’ but has since been renamed the ‘workout’ room. Every now and then I get a glimpse of the toy box filled with LEGOs and my heart swells with wonderful memories of ‘years gone by.’

Some years ago, in our new home, I hosted Thanksgiving for my husband’s family. To say that I was somewhat intimidated by cooking for 26 people is a slight understatement. You may be thinking, you’re a professional organizer… why would you be intimidated? Well, being nervous is normal especially when you are doing something that you love to do and for the people whom you love. Nevertheless, my nerves got the best of me right up to the moment when I made my Thanksgiving Checklist.

That’s right, I made a list of what I needed to do right up until I opened my front door and welcomed my guests. You name it, and it was on the list… cleaning the house, ironing the tablecloth, polishing my silver, running my stemware through the dishwasher, taking my grandmother’s china out of my china cabinet, setting the table, planning the menu, food shopping (yes, a separate list for ingredients), delegating certain recipes to family members, setting the table, and choosing which serving platters to use for each recipe I was making. All this may sound overwhelming, but trust me, if you make a list, and then transfer each “to do” to your calendar, you will not only get things done, but you will be relaxed in the process. Did you “catch on” to when I mentioned delegating? Delegating is essential when taking on something as overwhelming as hosting a holiday. Quite frankly, I am a firm believer in delegating on a daily basis. One of my favorite quotes to my family is, “I never said I was Superwoman.” We all need help and should feel comfortable doing so… now, with Thanksgiving right around the corner. Why not start a new habit and start delegating?

Back to my holiday undertaking, lucky for me, I had bought a cooking magazine that had many recipes that appealed to me, and each recipe gave a time line of what could be cooked beforehand. Some recipes could be cooked days in advance and reheated Thanksgiving day. Some recipes had sauces that could be made in advance, frozen, then defrosted that day. And don’t stress about cooking the bird since most magazines give cooking directions based on weight. Also, keep in mind that a simple menu goes a long way, especially when this holiday is about bringing family together. Each day up until the holiday, I was able to check things off my list.

Being organized not only helped alleviate stress, but it allowed me to enjoy myself and my family on Thanksgiving. Why not give it a try and make your Thanksgiving Checklist?

Can you believe another school year has come to a close? They just fly by. Although it’s the last thing on most mom’s and dad’s minds in June, come late August, preparing for ‘Back-to-School’ can be a hectic time to recon with.

As we begin the second month of summer, I want to share my annual routine in addressing this issue. Although, as you’ll see, I choose to get an early start; you still have the luxury of setting aside less than an hour to make the transition from summer to ‘Back to School’ stress and hassle free.

With that being said, I always use the last day of school as my barometer to get all my boys’ school supplies sorted, purged, donated, reorganized, and stored away until September. I’ve found few people that do it. Most wouldn’t even consider it. Believe it or not, being organized the first day of school starts with a little ‘to do’ list the final day of the current school year!

In our house, the last day of school signifies the official start of summer, and as you can imagine, in most every household, the excitement is palpable. Each year, I pick the boys up at school which allows me the opportunity to see how excited they are and the smiles on their faces when the bell rings and they charge out of the school. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to say goodbye to friends, teachers, and classmates. Going out to lunch continues the euphoria, and this is where I set the expectation of going home and organizing their school supplies for next year. Realistically, who would want to contend with this the last day of school? But, from start to finish, it only takes about fifteen to thirty minutes.

The first decision is to ascertain if their school bag is still in good enough condition to weather next year. If so, it is cleaned out and stored in our coat closet until September. If not, it is cleaned out and put in our donation pile. Moving on, the purging continues with pens, pencils, pencil cases, rulers, scissors, crayons, markers, folders, etc. The rule of thumb is trash, donate, or keep. Trash is immediately taken out, donations are put in our designated donation pile, and anything that can be used in September is stored in the school bag for next year. If their school bag is being donated, then, the supplies are stored in either a zip-lock bag or container until September.

You’ve only just read this. Yet, aren’t you breathing easier knowing when Summer ends, ‘Back-to-School’ is on auto pilot? Have a happy, safe, and enjoyable summer.