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The holiday season means decoration time. Pulling out boxes, bags and containers of all kinds of special treasures you’ve saved   for embellishing your home every year and they are all marked “holiday”.   Where to begin, but to open them all and start dragging items out until you find what you are looking for at that moment.  Eventually you make your way through it all in time to enjoy the holidays for the family gatherings and entertaining of the season, only to be quickly followed by the dreaded post-holiday season of taking down those decorations and putting them away for another year.  But did you know the post-holiday season is the best time to organize all those decorations?

Here are some organizing tips for making this a really productive organizing season too!

1. This is the most perfect time to take stock of your exterior and interior décor. Has anything served its time well and is no longer useful, looks dated or worn, or anything you would ever use again? Now is the time to purge those items. If you are not going to use them next year, certainly do not take precious space and time to pack them up again. Donate what may be reusable to someone else that you won’t use again. Throw away anything that no longer is of use to anyone.
2. Sort your items, keeping in mind you want to keep like and similar items together.  Here are some examples of how to sort depending upon what you have; exterior décor from interior décor,  exterior lights from Interior lights, wreaths, garlands, holiday linens, centerpieces, collections of holiday items should be grouped together, ornaments,  candles, etc.  You should now have everything sorted into categories so that all like items are grouped together.
3. Now is the time to visually see the amount of the items you have and the size and shape of the containers you will need to store them in. There are many assorted storage containers available during this season for just this organizing event.
4. When you pack your items away remember to use a little packaging paper or bubble wrap for any breakables so they are not just loose in a container.
5. Label each container from the categories you made when sorting the items. Put the items in the corresponding containers. You may have multiple categories in one container. That’s ok. Just label what is in there.
6. Now you are ready to store all your containers in their designated area until next year and you will now know exactly where everything is!
7. There is another sorting option and that is to sort all the décor for each room into its own category, for example; Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, Family Room, etc.  This is not advised for everyone but works for some folks that don’t like to think about where they are placing their decorations every year, so a designated container for each room works well for them.

When next year comes around you won’t be opening 10+ containers at once looking for certain items as you are trying to decorate.  By sorting all of your holiday décor into categories and packing the décor into labeled containers will keep your décor organized and easy to access for the next season.  You’ll look forward to knowing where everything is when you’re ready to decorate and knowing where everything belongs when you’re ready to put it away.

Did you ever wonder how Santa gets so much done?  The secret to his success is making lists and checking them twice.

Why are lists beneficial?

–       Getting the ideas out of your head helps you to think more clearly

–       Writing (or typing) encourages a commitment to follow through

–       Reviewing lists makes prioritizing tasks easier

–       Categorizing tasks and listing baby steps help to prevent overwhelm

There’s much to be done during the holidays and lists can be a lifesaver.  The information is valuable for the current year and a great reference for holidays to come.  Create a holiday journal or use software, such as Excel spreadsheets, to stay on top of your tasks.  If others you live with use your computer, set up a password for the electronic document to keep gift-giving ideas a secret.

What to keep track of:

–       A timeline, by week, with what you plan on accomplishing, and when

–       A holiday card or eCard list – noting which style card you sent

–       Decorating – themes, details, etc.

–       Gifts – people and charities and what you plan to give

–       A shopping list – include stores, eRetailers and what you hope to purchase

–       Party planning  – menus, guests, grocery lists, etc.

–       Post-holiday review – note what worked and what didn’t

May this be a low-stress holiday season filled with high joy; and may you accomplish your goals with clarity and ease.

Brought to you by the Professional Organizers of NAPO-GPC

1. Have a plan to get you through the season.  At least four weeks prior to the holiday,  schedule a few tasks to be completed each week on your calendar.  For instance: week 1 – interior/exterior decorating, week 2 and 3 – shopping, week 3 – sending greeting cards, week 4 – baking and wrapping.  A few days in advance of the holiday, shop for the holiday meal.
2. Keep a holiday notebook to write down gifts as they are purchased throughout the year.  Include where you have stashed them for safekeeping, and have an envelope for holding the receipts.  Create a gift-giving budget, and use the notebook to keep track of your expenses.
3. Label all your room decorations with the location – such as “kitchen window sill” for a candle or “front door” for a wreath on the back or bottom, where they can’t be seen.
4. After you have all your holiday decorations out take a picture of each section and store it with your decorations. It will be even easier to decorate next year and others can help!
5. Use command strips and hooks for all kinds of decorations from wreaths to inside lights. They don’t damage walls or paint so you can put decorations in unlikely places.
6. If you mail out holiday cards, keep the addresses on your computer and print out sheets of labels.  Be sure to stop by the post office for stamps or order them online.
7. For holiday photo cards, use pictures that you have taken during the year to make a card.  Enlist the help of family to sign, address and stamp the cards in one night.
8. Once you have finished setting out your decorations, consider donating the rest to a thrift shop so that needy families can benefit from your surplus.
9. For holiday entertaining, keep your beverage and food menu simple.   Pull out the serving dishes and utensils that you will need and label what food will be placed in it.
10. If an old tradition isn’t working for you, start a new one.  For example, instead of letting the number of gifts escalate each year, set a limit on the number.
11. Try to do your shopping during the non-peak hours or try shopping online.
12. Photo albums that you can create on-line make great gifts for grandparents or relatives out of town. You can share all your family’s special moments throughout the year in one 20 page book for about $30.
13. Write yourself a list of what changes you want to make next holiday season. Put it with decorations, card list or have it remind you electronically next Thanksgiving.
14. Plan your holiday wardrobe for everyone in your household.  Determine if you need to purchase items, etc.
15. Be kind to yourself.  Schedule downtime to relax and enjoy the holiday.
16. Delegate tasks where you can.

(NAPO-GPC) is the resource for organizing professionals in Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Central and Southern New Jersey. Visit our website at www.napo-gpc.org and use the online “Find an Organizer” search tool to find a Professional Organizer in your area.

  My cat, Tiger, is 21 years old. That makes him 101 in cat years. As he has gotten older, many things Tiger used to do have become hard for him, so we’ve responded by helping him age in place.

Tiger walks slowly, very slowly. His legs are bowed, his back is crooked, and his once powerful hind legs are wasted.  Years ago, Tiger easily leapt into the air. Now, he needs help getting on and off my husband’s chair. Externally, Tiger is very changed from the strong young cat he was. Internally, though, Tiger seems much the same. His favorite pastime is still sitting quietly on Bill’s lap, giving and receiving love. As we noticed physical changes in Tiger, we began to think about what we could do to help him remain independent and injury-free. In addition, we felt badly each time Tiger failed at something he had once done so easily; we worried that he was embarrassed, and we wanted to preserve his dignity. Tiger has always had a lot of dignity. So we began to implement a series of aging in place modifications.

Since Tiger can no longer jump onto my husband’s chair, we installed a three-step pet ladder so Tiger could get on and off the chair on his own. At first, Tiger distained using the ladder, but when attempts to jump resulted in falls, he quietly adopted it as his normal method of access. We built similar steps to and from a sunroom window, and while Tiger seldom goes outside anymore, when he does, he uses these steps rather than jump the 18 inches.

Some months ago, we noticed that Tiger was urinating outside the litter box. At first, we wondered if he had become confused, which can happen to old cats. Then we guessed that perhaps Tiger could no longer step over the 5-inch high walls of the litter box. We cut out a special entrance to the litter box with a one inch high lip, and Tiger immediately began using it. He wanted to continue his former behavior; he just needed some modifications.

We’ve changed other things for Tiger as well. To keep his weight up, Tiger gets a can of wet food every night – a welcome change no doubt from the dry food he has eaten his whole life.  So far, it’s working. Tiger tips the scales at 7 pounds – good for a very old cat. Like many old cats, Tiger has kidney problems and drinks huge quantities of water to compensate for his failing kidneys. As a result, the litter needs to be changed daily, and we’ve surrounded the entire litter box with paper since Tiger sometimes misses the actual entrance.

Tiger loses great quantities of hair, and because of his arthritis, he can no longer groom himself properly, so we brush him each night. We know that Tiger has cataracts in his eyes, his hearing is impaired and his meow is scratchy, but in our eyes, he remains a handsome elderly gentleman.

We sometimes think about how Tiger spends his days now, as compared to his youth. He still naps in the sunlight, enjoys watching birds on our front porch and sits on our lap every night. Although he cannot do many of the things he used to do, it seems to us that the essential Tiger – the sweet, loving cat we have always known – is still there, and that Tiger has a good quality of life.

As I think about Tiger, I can’t help but make comparisons to how I would treat an elderly family member, or how I would want to be treated myself. I would want to be as independent as possible, in a familiar environment that maximized my dignity and minimized the impact of my impairments. I would want to be surrounded by people who accept me for who I am, even though I may be different in many ways from who I once was. I would want a good quality of life, where I could continue to do the things that are important to me. And like Tiger, I would want to give love as well as receive it.

So in addition to being the best cat in the world, Tiger has even taught me lessons on how to age.

Sometimes it’s not important to distinguish between being organized and looking organized. Perception is reality. Would you like to know how to fake being organized, even if you aren’t?

1. Keep repeating.

If you are a sucker for organizing magazines and TV shows, you’ll start to notice that repeated forms and themes are pleasing to the eye. Decorated rooms never have just one pretty storage box. There are usually lots of the same one artfully stacked. The organizing stores that you drool over, like IKEA, the Container Store, and Target, often have five to fifteen of the same item in one display. Even cheap plastic bins can be pleasing to the eye if they are labeled uniformly and stacked to the ceiling.

2.  Calm the color.

What do you see when you view a really cluttered room? It’s not the amount of stuff that your eye responds to, but that there doesn’t seem to be any order to the items, which are made up of shapes and colors. If those shapes and colors are rearranged and made to relate to each other, the same stuff in the same space can very often be harmonious.

3.  Clear horizontal surfaces.

This requires having other places to put stuff besides the counter, desktop, and dining room table. My own house sports a blessedly long kitchen counter that gets covered each and every day, but gets cleared several times a day as well. You may not be able to keep surfaces clear all the time, but being able to clear surfaces quickly is a handy trick. Hopefully you have a home for stuff that lands on your surfaces, but if not, do what you must. You might even know people who appear to have an organized space, but heaven help the unsuspecting guest who opens the drawers or closets. Booby-trapped drawers and closets can work, at least for a while.

4.  Decorate for the appropriate season.

Nothing says disorganized more than a Christmas tree out in April. Fake peonies hanging on the porch in January are a dead giveaway that the house isn’t being kept up. Nothing says you have to dress your house to the nines for each and every holiday, or even decorate at all for that matter. But if you are going to do it, keep décor seasonal and current.

5.  Take five minutes for you.

First impressions really are important. Take a moment to polish or clean your shoes each day. Before getting out of the car, check your hair and your teeth in the mirror. It may not be fair, but people do judge character by what they see. The Wall Street Journal reported not long ago that workers with organized desks are more likely to be promoted. At home, if you can’t keep the whole house organized, focus on just the entry ways (front and back) and the main room you would entertain in. Your guest room may be trashed, but people knocking on your front door don’t need to know that.

Being organized in your head and your space can lead to an amazing and full life without the guilt that many people report from being disorganized. These tips on faking it might just be the first step to getting a reasonably organized life – for real.

Fall is a time for change and I’m not just talking about the leaves changing color. With the kids going back to school and families getting back on a schedule, many homeowners are looking at their current spaces and what they might be missing in their home. I’ve been working with a number of clients who want to transform an existing room (extra bedroom or the room where everything gets dumped) into a place where they can fulfill a dream that revolves around a hobby, a passion, or a business.

Do you want a room where you can start sewing, doing crafts, getting out the scrapbooking supplies, or creating a new office for a home-based business? Sometimes a room has to do double-duty, but the main focus is to create a space to go to and get those creative juices flowing. Let’s break it down:

The first step is to decide which room is the one to transform. Your new room/space should:

• be on a floor that will be conducive to using it.
• have a window to look out of if you want one.
• have a door so you can close the door and leave things “out” and not put everything away when you have to stop for the day.
• function independently, or it can do double-duty (e.g. guest room/office).

The second step is to clean out the room you want to move into. First, sort through the items you can see. Sort the closets and drawers next. Set up a staging area on a bed, desk, or table to sort items (sorting from the floor kills your back). Make categories for:

• belongs in another room
• donate (to people and animals)
• sell on eBay, Craig’s List, or consignment
• return to/belongs to someone else outside the home
• trash
• keep in the room

Try not to leave the room while you are sorting. If you have difficulty making decisions on whether to keep something or not, do a quick sort first and then make a second pass at the more difficult items. After you are done sorting, take all items that don’t belong in the room to its new home.

The third step is to look at the furniture in the room:

• Determine what isn’t going to stay in the room and take it out.
• Bring in any furniture that you’ll be using for your new space.
• Try to remix, reuse, or repurpose things you already own instead of buying new.

Finally, organize the new room by zones:

• Working table/area
• Storage areas inside closets, on shelves, and in cabinets.
• Use room dividers or rugs to zone off the room if needed.
• Containerize your items by how you will use them: open, closed, opaque, solid, pretty, or utility.

Change the layout of your room as your life changes or as you change the projects you are working on. As the saying goes, life is not a dress rehearsal; don’t wait to follow through on those dreams and wishes for your home, especially if it’s just a matter of rearranging and not major construction. Don’t just dream about what your truest life could be, organize it to be so! Good luck!

Clutter Quote: “Our truest life is in our dreams awake.” Henry David Thoreau, American author, poet, philosopher.