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Thought I'd share this with you....I hired a professional organizer for a day. It cost me about $200...but was SO worth it!!! She made me start by emptying my space out totally (I really didn't want to move everything twice...but I'm so glad I listened to her). As we emptied my space, we put things in boxes: 1) things to put back into this space 2) things to move/store in another space 3) things to get rid of.
I wanted to store everything...but she kept asking questions like what do I use this for...when is the last time I used it..what else am I keeping that I could use in place of this. It was painful. I couldn't have done it without her.
The "get rid of" pile, where I wanted to put NOTHING, grew and grew. When we finished emptying the space, she took that pile and put it in her van while I fixed us a snack. I couldn't bare to look at that pile. She told me she would keep it for a week for me, incase there was anything that I was truly having second thoughts about....then she would take things to Goodwill, the dump...whatever she felt appropriate.
wow!!! was that ever amazing. She left for the day, and I began painting the room. My daughter went to IKEA and bought some things I had been thinking about for months....came back and helped me assemble this wonderful L shaped desk, and a cubical storage unit. So the next day, when the organizer returned....we had the big pieces in place, walls freshly painted...oh it looked so nice.
Then the organizer started talking about positioning of items. She explained that I needed to think of all the shelves, desk top space that was within easy reach as beach front property....only put the most valuable things there...only the things that I reached for constantly.
She worked with me about an hour, and left me to work through it. She came back the next day to check on me...we talked a little more, made a few adjustments...and I felt I had renewed energy, and new tools to move forward. Best $200 I've ever spent!
It's been almost a year since we did this. I don't have a clue of a single item that was in the "get rid of" pile...and have never missed a thing. I will tell you though how refreshing my space is...how much I enjoy it. Of course I still create a huge mess everytime I make something....put I can put it all away...everything belongs in a special place. I couldn't have done this with out her.
I think I paid $35/hour. We worked a half day, then she came back for an hour 2 other times. I have another junk area I'm thinking about hiring her back. This one will take us much longer, I'm sure. But it was the best money I ever spent. I can't begin to tell you how much better I feel...and it was junk I was saving, that I just couldn't let go of.
I'll also tell you it was painful while we were doing it. My daughter had tried helping me many times. Also a friend tried to help me. But I "won" about saving everything. When the professional came in....I didn't have as much power...and I had to listen to her. Is that the right way to describe it?
What a wonderful idea. DH and I hope to sell our house and move within the next year. I've cleaned lots of stuff out of my room but I still have more to do. I'll keep this in mind for the new house.
__________________ Mary Ann GALLERY Fan Club member since 4/08
Sigh! My dream job! My favorite show was Clean Sweep! I could do this! I think that you listened to her because she was the pro and you paid her. The three box system is what they use on CS. I love to toss and organize, but my husband jealously guards his massive piles of papers and old receipts...
Sigh! My dream job! My favorite show was Clean Sweep! I could do this! I think that you listened to her because she was the pro and you paid her. The three box system is what they use on CS. I love to toss and organize, but my husband jealously guards his massive piles of papers and old receipts...
Jutta
I find it way easier to get rid of DH's junk, but not my own precious posessions. He feels the same way in reverse. I agree that b/c you pay the professional you feel you need to listen to her. Seems like we've become a society of pack rats. There are very few houses on our street where people can actually get their cars in the garage. My car always fits in our 1-car garage - except for now while I'm staging things for a future yard sale.
__________________ Mary Ann GALLERY Fan Club member since 4/08
I think I may have to do this for my entire house. It would be expensive, but well worth it. My dh and I are such pack rats and just hate to thow anything out. I'm getting better, but there is just so much stuff it is hard to figure out where to begin!!
__________________ Kaye "May the odds be ever in your favor"
Effie Trinket, The Hunger Games
I have to tell you...my family has moved twice in the last three years, and there's nothing like a move to cleanse you of stuff you don't need. My motto has always been "If you don't have to pack it, you don't have to unpack it either!"
I think I mjay have to move every three years just to help me stay organized!
I have to tell you...my family has moved twice in the last three years, and there's nothing like a move to cleanse you of stuff you don't need. My motto has always been "If you don't have to pack it, you don't have to unpack it either!"
I think I mjay have to move every three years just to help me stay organized!
I just had to laugh. That definitely did not work for us! We moved 4 times in the past 10 years (not counting moving out of our parent's places) and I just managed to clean out & organize all the boxes in the basement. I couldn't beleive how many boxes we had moved over the years that had never been unpacked!
I have to tell you...my family has moved twice in the last three years, and there's nothing like a move to cleanse you of stuff you don't need. My motto has always been "If you don't have to pack it, you don't have to unpack it either!"
I think I mjay have to move every three years just to help me stay organized!
Ain't that the truth?!!! :shock:
We've been in our current location for 7 years now, whereas prior, we had moved about every 4, AND, one year we moved 3x.
I *need* to move again! That'll solve everything! :mrgreen:
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I have to tell you...my family has moved twice in the last three years, and there's nothing like a move to cleanse you of stuff you don't need. My motto has always been "If you don't have to pack it, you don't have to unpack it either!"
I think I mjay have to move every three years just to help me stay organized!
Yup! We are on our 4th house in 8 years (we usually stay about a year and a half...) and I am NOT a pac-rat... I can't be when moving this often. (Unfortunately... my hubby is!:()
I am about ready to move again... it's time to clean out the old stuff!
__________________ Colleen Schaan - Education Specialist at Imagination International Inc.,/Copic Marker
Blog - Distinctive Touches;My Copic Books!
After my DD stint is over, I'm moving my craft ROOM into a craft CLOSET to make way for our next child. It's going to mean reducing my stuff by about half. It's gonna hurt!
I get a headache thinking about what to do with all of that stuff, I want to sell it to recoup some of the money I spent, but ugh, what a pain.
I could do that job...i love "purging" and throwing things out and getting rid of them by donating to charity, selling on ebay, yard sale, whatever. I get my inspiration from shows like Clean Sweep, Neat, Clean House...and Peter Walsh is my HERO...
__________________ Jen Z. in Elysburg, PA...not quite stampin' in Atlas anymore!
Your posts are so much fun! And good for you Kathy for doing what you needed to do!
Personally, I've been tempted to hire an organizer (there are several that I know in my area). Then - I got hooked on Clean House! And decided to pretend that the crew was coming. I started in my back room (office) and moved through the house. Dumped everything in the living room. When it got full - I dumped it in the garage. In about 3 weeks - it's Yard Sale Day!
I think I may have to do this for my entire house. It would be expensive, but well worth it. My dh and I are such pack rats and just hate to thow anything out. I'm getting better, but there is just so much stuff it is hard to figure out where to begin!!
Peter Walsh, who is the King of Organizers, talked about starting with 20 minutes a day. Grab a bag or a box and spend 20 minutes cleaning out stuff to either put in the trash or donate. After 20 minutes put the stuff in the garbage can or in the car to take to Goodwill or other donation site. The big thing is to get it out of the house before you (or someone else) can go "save" things. Better to start small than to try to do it all at once and give up because it is so overwhelming.
And I would love to hire an organizer. I know what I need to do, but I need that outside person to make me do it.
__________________ Martha
"When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life." Jean Shinoda Bolen
That is the name of the incredible Peter Walsh book, of Clean Sweep fame. After reading this in pieces, not only for my scrap room, but my closet, junk drawers, attic...Basically, if you do not respect the item like keeping it a hidden box,or would not give it to a friend or relative...pitch it. Don't buy more w/o using what you have, then it can be replaced. Don't keep things for others, obviously they don't want it or have the room for it either. I have really cut down on my supply hoarding, and realized it's not the stash, it's the finished product. Also, I volunteer at a maternity home garage sale (for unwed teens) and you can't believe the donated new things we sell for next to nothing, makes me think twice about my purchases.
Being a Navy family, we moved every 1-3 years for 15 years. The Navy only moves so many pounds and then you have to pay. That definitely kept us "lean". Then we ended up with back to back assignments at our current location and purchased a house. DH has now retired and we have remained here. That has given us 14 years in the same location and I shudder to think of the work if we have a move.
Part of the problem is that I am SO organized that I can fit a LOT of stuff in a very small space! Honestly, professional movers were astonished at the stuff that came out of our apartments even after doing a walk-through ahead of time where they thought they knew what we had. We finished remodeling our kitchen last year and I designed the kitchen and all the organization in it. if anyone is interested, my album here, http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...52044807aLGMlT, shows all the drawers, etc. It shows my obsession with organization pretty well. LOL.
DD will be moving out to her own place in the next couple of months and I will get to design my dream studio for the space. With my super organization, I will have to buy much more stuff to fill it! :twisted: Shhhh... don't tell DH!
Of course, the garage is another story. It's awful - I don't know why we have such a mental (and physical) block about it. I try never to go out there. We throw so many things we don't know what to do with out there. I need someone else to come and help me with that one. We'd be out there for a couple of months! I need help to actually get me to purge items instead of just "super-organizing" them into fitting in and looking good. sigh...
When I go through my house I tend to use the 'Have I used this in the last year?' method!!! If I haven't it gets sent out to the garage to await either goodwill or a garage sale! (Obviously this does not stand for sentimental items or family heirlooms!) Unfortunately I do not take this approach in my craft room...I pretty much have to dislike something to actually purge it!!! Lol!!
Professional Organizer
