It is the perfect time to get your home in order. Purge unwanted items,  sort like items together and just make some space so that everything you need and/or value has a home. This month and for the rest of 2012 remember to return items to  . . . → Read More: GO MONTH 2012]]> January is National Get Organized Month or GO Month.

It is the perfect time to get your home in order. Purge unwanted items,  sort like items together and just make some space so that everything you need and/or value has a home. This month and for the rest of 2012 remember to return items to  the place or home you assigned to them.  When there is a place for everything and everything is in its place,  clutter will disappear and an organized home will be easier to maintain.

To celebrate GO Month I am offering a 10% discount on a three hour organizing session. Just mention you saw this discount on my blog.  Use it any time between now and March 15,  2012.

Click on image to enlarge

]]> http://uniquespacesorganizing.com/2012/01/26/go-month-2012/feed/ 0 http://uniquespacesorganizing.com/2011/06/23/a-visit-to-ruby-valley/ http://uniquespacesorganizing.com/2011/06/23/a-visit-to-ruby-valley/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:00:56 +0000 UniqueSpacesOrganizing http://uniquespacesorganizing.com/?p=903 What a view!

Ruby Valley is one of the most awe inspiring spots in Northeastern Nevada.

One photo doesn’t do this beautiful valley justice.

One of the gals in my organizing class told a story about an old, worn-out blanket with holes in it that kept showing up whenever the family had company.  She said she had the best of intentions to get rid of the blanket.  Then she started thinking that even though the blanket had a few . . . → Read More: The Old Ratty Blanket]]>

One of the gals in my organizing class told a story about an old, worn-out blanket with holes in it that kept showing up whenever the family had company.  She said she had the best of intentions to get rid of the blanket.  Then she started thinking that even though the blanket had a few holes, maybe she better keep it for the family dogs on cold winter nights.  So she stuck it away. Winter came and went.  The dogs never did see the blanket.

The family had company again. The blanket in all its ratty glory showed up in her living room wrapped around her child.  Embarrassment flowed and she vowed to really get rid of that blanket this time.

She put the blanket in a pile to donate, but thought “I think we can use it here on the ranch … for something.”  So out of the donation pile it came.  The next time the ratty old blanket appeared…you guessed it, her kids were dragging it around in front of company again.

Morals Of The Story
* Ratty old blankets and kids just seem to find each other, especially when you have company.
* Sometimes it is just better to let things go than to wait for your next embarrassing moment!

 After a long winter, I had high hopes for sunny skies and warm temperatures.  But sad to say, it is cold and very windy here.  It snowed twice this week and most days were overcast. 

 Since I can’t get outside to garden without a heavy winter coat, I have been . . . → Read More: Spring or Spring Fling?]]>  Spring is finally here!  Yeah!! 

 After a long winter, I had high hopes for sunny skies and warm temperatures.  But sad to say, it is cold and very windy here.  It snowed twice this week and most days were overcast. 

 Since I can’t get outside to garden without a heavy winter coat, I have been cruising blogs just to see how the masses are coping with this crazy Spring weather.  One recurring theme has been the Spring Fling.  I was all jazzed and thought I was going to learn about some new, great places that were warm and sunny.  You know the story… beautiful art, gourmet food and lazy days in the sun with  the ocean lapping at my feet.  WRONG!!

This Spring everyone is talking about doing the Spring Fling and they really mean they are flinging things.

The more I thought about it the better I liked this idea.  You start at the top of your house and work down getting rid of things you no longer use, want or need.  Fling broken, worn out and useless things into the trash.  Fling unwanted items into boxes to be donated or recycled.  Fling other peoples things into bags and return them to their owners.

Start at the top of your home and begin the flinging process.  If you live in a two story home, start with the rooms upstairs or even the attic.  If your home is a single level choose a room to work on.  Pick a closet and empty it.  As you empty the closet, sort things into piles of like items.  (Clothing together, shoes together, keepsakes together, etc.)  Set boxes and bags of trash and unwanted items outside the room you are working on.  That way you have room to sort and you can start enjoying the space you have created.

Once you have emptied the closet and determined  what you will keep, start putting items back into the closet.  Remember, like items belong with like items.  Complete the closet and move into the room.

Walk through the room and pickup obvious trash or things you know you need to discard.  Next start attacking the piles.  Pick one pile at a time and sort it into like items, donations and trash.   Once that pile is finished  go to the next pile and do the same thing.  If you have any items that belong with like items from other piles, put them there.  Finish all the piles and areas in the room.

If you have furniture in the room with drawers or shelves, do the flinging process again.  Remember if an item is too small, broken, unusable, or disliked it is time to fling it out of this space.

Once the room has been sorted and purged it is time to put it back together.  You need to find a home for everything you want to keep.  If there isn’t a home for all the things in the room … that means you have too many things for the available space.  It is time to purge a few more items.

As you Spring Fling the rest of your home, remember that if you Spring Fling only one room of your home per week by June you will have organized your entire living space.  

                                                                     Spring Fling now, enjoy Summer when it gets here! 

I have no idea where the Fall of 2010 went.  They (the wise people) say, “Time flies when you are having fun”.  My Fall flew by so fast I am not really sure if I did have fun. 

Needless to say, I gladly welcomed 2011.  It is a great . . . → Read More: GO Month 2011]]> Here it is January 2011 already! 

I have no idea where the Fall of 2010 went.  They (the wise people) say, “Time flies when you are having fun”.  My Fall flew by so fast I am not really sure if I did have fun. 

Needless to say, I gladly welcomed 2011.  It is a great time to look forward with hope.  It is also time to face challenges, learn new things  and just enjoy each and every day.

January is a really big month for the Professional Organizing industry.  It is GET ORGANIZED Month or GO Month.  Across the nation and in many other countries like Australia and Canada,  professional organizers are offering special workshops, organizing contests with great prizes and discounts for organizing services.  Google professional organizers in your area and find out about the GO activities available.

If you live in the Elko or northeastern Nevada area checkout my class on residential organizing at Great Basin College.  I am extending GO month into February for this class.  If you want to learn proven organizing techniques, create a calmness in your home and take control of your life join me on February 16, 2011.  The class will cover what and how to purge items you no longer need, how to create order out of chaos and how to maintain that  order as life changes and new challenges appear.

                  * * * * *  *  Join me for an evening of fun and motivating organizing ideas. * * * * * *

 Before I begin that process, I still need to dig five rows of  Yukon Gold and . . . → Read More: The Fall Garden]]> Here in the High Desert Fall always seems to come before the official date (September 22).  We had several hard freezes in September and my garden is  ready to be put to bed for the winter. 

 Before I begin that process, I still need to dig five rows of  Yukon Gold and Red Pontiac potatoes.   So far one row of plants has yielded 27 pounds of delicious potatoes.  If my potato success continues I should have about 135 pounds of  “Spuds” to share with my family and friends.   Potatoes store well and provide that touch of summer goodness during the cold winter months.

Once the potatoes are dug and the garden is put to bed, I like to organize and care for the garden tools so I don’t have to waste time in the Spring.   Try my tips for keeping your garden tools in good shape.  

• Gather all your tools including shovels, rakes, spading forks, hoes,  pruning sheers, hand tools and anything else you used with soil or plants.
• Wash each tool with a 10% solution of bleach water.  Wipe them dry.  This prevents bacteria from being transferred to healthy plants.  It also removes caked-on dirt and grime.
• Repair or replace damaged handles.
• Sharpen shovels, spades, hoes, sheers and hand tools.
• Clean any visible rust off of all tools and then apply a light coating of oil to all metal surfaces.
• Store all garden tools together in a dry spot, preferably on hooks or in a rack, never on a dirt surface.  Dirt absorbs moisture which can rust your gardening tools.

                                           A little organizing now makes  Spring gardening a breeze!