All Sorted Out - Professional Home Organizing Services in the Atlanta Metro area.

Newsletter Archives

June 2010
Expert Organizing Tips

May 2010
Tips from my Clients

April 2010
Tips for Setting Up a Garage Sale

March 2010
Unusual Ways to Organize

February 2010
Staging your Home for Sale

January 2010
Favorite Places to Buy Organizing Products

December 2009
Wrapping It Up

November 2009
Prepare the Pantry

October 2009
Costumes & Decorations

September 2009
Enough

August 2009
Help for the Home Office

July 2009
Getting Crafty

June 2009
A Better Bedroom

May 2009
Eco Organizing

April 2009
Getting Ready to Garden

March 2009
The Path To Clutter

February 2009
Easing Into Downsizing

January 2009
Organizing For Renovation

December 2008
Organizing For Next Year

November 2008
More Of My Favorite Organizing Tools

October 2008
Making Life Easier

September 2008
Clearing The Closet

August 2008
How To Let Go Of Stuff

July 2008
Managing Medical Records

June 2008
Road Trip Organizing

May 2008
Collections Instead of Clutter

April 2008
Getting Ready for Tax Time

March 2008
Where to Begin

February 2008
When You Want to Help

January 2008
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization

December 2007
Organize for Air Travel

November 2007
Organize for Small Spaces

October 2007
When Life Happens, Reorganize

September 2007
Bathroom Organizing

August 2007
Paper Organizing

July 2007
Uncluttered Kids' Rooms

June 2007
Top Ten Organizing Tools

May 2007
Grapple The Garage

April 2007
Managing Your Time

March 2007
Spring Organizing

February 2007
Help for Caregivers of Aging Parents

January 2007
National Get Organized Month

December 2006
Year End Organizing

November 2006
Give Thanks for Being Organized

October 2006
Holiday Kitchen Organization

September 2006
In Case of a Weather Emergency - Organize!

August 2006
Back to School Organizing

July 2006
Declare your Independence from Summer Clutter

ORGANIZING TIPS OF THE MONTH: DECEMBER 2008
Organizing for Next Year

December is the perfect time to plan ahead for the upcoming year. It gives such a feeling of relief to be organized after the holiday activities. Email or call me to help you make a fresh start in 2009.

Box up decorations you do not use this year but are not sure you are ready to donate. Label the box “Decorations not used in 2008.” When you get ready to decorate in 2009, re-evaluate the contents of the box. Get rid of the things you are not going to use.
After the holiday meals become leftovers, purge your refrigerator and freezer. Take everything out of the refrigerator; wipe down the entire inside with a non-toxic cleaner. Discard outdated food and drinks. Get rid of leftovers and produce that are past their prime. Place items in logical groupings—condiments, dressings, juices, etc. Do the same with the freezer. Toss food that has been in the freezer for over 6 months; if you have not used it by now, you are not going to.
Look through your address book. If it is filled with outdated information, get a new book. I recommend making entries in pencil so you can easily edit your book. Make corrections collected from greeting cards that have address changes. Put business cards in clear plastic business card sleeves. You can put the sleeves in a 3-ring binder or tuck them near your address book. You can also use your computer as an address book and scan business cards into a file.
One of my favorite timesavers is to buy a year’s worth of greeting cards. Make a list now of all the birthday and anniversary cards you want to send. Take the list with you and check off each date as you find the appropriate card. Buy extra get well, sympathy, and general birthday cards. Put names on sticky notes on the cards and file by month in a box or bin.
When you have finished wrapping holiday gifts, take inventory of your gift wrap and ribbon supply. Restock during the end of year sales. Replenish your all occasion and birthday wrap and ribbon too.
Assess the health of your houseplants. Sickly or misshapen plants make the whole room look dreary and cluttered. Replace those that cannot be revived; prune those that have gotten leggy. Make your rooms come alive for the New Year with healthy plants.
Are the new gifts overwhelming an already tight space? Take the opportunity to go through your CDs, DVDs, games, electronics, and clothing and make generous donations to a favorite organization. You cannot enjoy the things you have if they are squished in with the multitudes.
End the year with a clean slate—clear off the front of your refrigerator. Instead of cluttering the surface with magnetic business cards, enter the information in your address book or slip the cards into plastic card sleeves. Toss outdated notices. Put children’s best artwork in their memorabilia bins, toss the non-keepers. Enter appointments on your calendar; clip the appointment cards to the corresponding month. A blank refrigerator instantly makes the whole kitchen look neater.
After you have completed your holiday cooking and baking, purge your recipe cards and cookbooks. You know which ones are old faithfuls and which ones looked good at one time but no longer hold much appeal. Make room for what you use and for new favorites. Also, if you successfully tweaked a recipe to better suit your taste, make notes on the recipe card or directly in the cookbook.
If you are trying to simplify your life by reducing the amount of stuff that comes into your home, rethink your gift exchange routine. Create new traditions—others may be eager to join. Instead of exchanging gifts with friends, agree to meet for coffee or lunch and enjoy time together. See if adult relatives are ready to forego gifts altogether or perhaps give to one another’s favorite charity. Time together and memories are gifts in themselves. No clutter involved.