source: John Beagle

I’ve written before about my love of going out to garage sales each week. Every Friday night my 12 year old son and I head out to see what “treasures” we can find. It’s a great bonding time for us as we drive around town chatting to one another without any interruptions. I really enjoy our date night.

However as we cruise from garage sale to garage sale there is something that drives me a little bit batty. I instantly know when I walk up someone’s driveway whether or not they are garage salers themselves and those particular garage sales are never particularly rewarding for us. I seem to always leave disappointed and empty handed for a variety of reasons. So today I thought I’d share some tips for how to think like a garage saler (even if you’ve never been to one yourself) and how to ensure your customers leave with empty pockets and full arms.

Have Stuff

Of course you need stuff at a garage sale but what I mean is you need more than one table worth of stuff. Garage salers don’t like to waste time hitting up a garage sale without a lot of stock. We are competitive folk for sure and want to get on to the next garage where there is perhaps more selection. Multi-family garage sales always get me excited because you know the selection will be good and the variety even better. If you don’t have enough stuff to hold a garage sale definitely think about teaming up with friends for greater success.

Timing is Important

This is one that really gets me crazy. If the majority of the garage sales in your town start at 8 in the morning, don’t start yours two or three hours later. If at all possible please try and start your garage sale with what is most popular for your area. Us garage salers get out there to do the circuit and then end up killing time waiting for yours to open or worse we just don’t bother going at all. The week or two before your garage sale check the ads to get an idea of what time everyone else starts their garage sales. There is almost always a common time. Go with the flow and you’ll have some happy customers on your hands.

Eliminate the Piles

Oh boy. Why do people holding garage sales think we want to dig through mountains of stuff. We don’t. I see clothes displayed this way all the time but I certainly can’t be bothered because in the back of my mind I’m thinking about the next sale and what I might be missing there. It’s a go go mentality, everyone looking for great stuff at bargain prices. We want to get in and get out quickly. Clothing should be hung up (or at least organized by size on a table or in a box) and anything not easily identified should be labeled so we don’t have to guess. Because we won’t. We’ve got to go.

source: Chiot's Run

Price It Right

The #1 problem with attending the garage sale of a non-garage saler is their prices are often way to high. Prices should be lower at garage sales than if you were to sell your wares any place else. Garage sales are exciting for one reason only….garage sale prices. No one cares if you just bought the item a week ago and barely used it. We want a deal. You want to make some cash. When that combination works, it works beautifully. So price your stuff lower earlier in the day rather than waiting until the end to reduce your prices. The last thing you want to do is have to haul it all off afterwards to the dump or thrift store. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just more work and you’ll be exhausted after all the work you’ve put in hosting the sale in the first place. I also prefer when everything IS priced at garage sales. It’s just faster for me to assess the situation and be on my way.  If you use stickers like in the picture above (check your local dollar store) it will be quick and easy for you to get the pricing job done.

Do Away With The Junk

Okay this one is tricky because junk to one person means something entirely different to someone else. However it’s probably safe to say that no one wants your stained and ripped shirts, cracked dishware or puzzles missing pieces. It will only turn your customers off and make them want to run for the hills. Ask yourself if this is something you would buy at a garage sale. If it’s not something you would consider buying then it’s probably a good indication that you shouldn’t try selling it either.

source: eastlaketimes

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

Advertising is crucial for a successful sale. It’s hard to make money without attracting any customers. Pay attention to where all the other garage sales are advertised. Often that’s bulletin boards or street poles. If that’s where you’ll be advertising make sure it’s legible. Neon paper and big Sharpie letters are ideal. As well if you predict a hint of rain put your sign in a Ziploc bag to protect it. If the majority of garage sales in your town are advertised in the paper or on Craigslist/Kijiji then that’s what you’ll need to do as well. Also check Facebook because there may be a specific garage sale page for your location. It doesn’t hurt either, on garage sale day, to put a big sign at the end of your street with balloons directing people right to your door.

Overall I think the important thing to remember is you want to make it as easy as possible for your customers to get in and get out. You don’t have to be a garage saler yourself to host a successful garage sale and hopefully the tips I listed above will help you do just that.

Personally I don’t like holding garage sales myself (so much work!) but I don’t think I’ll ever stop being a fan of attending them especially as long as I get to hang out with my son while I do it.

Are you a garage saler? Do you have a garage sale pet peeve?

Garage Sale Tips for the Non-Garage Saler is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

It’s time for the 2nd annual Simplify Your Family Life ebook sale!!  Last year’s sale was a huge success so Corey from Simple Marriage and Mandi from Life…Your Way decided to do it again.  They have brought together some of the top authors in the family life space with 38 ebooks covering a variety of topics related to family life.

When purchased separately, these ebooks are worth $375, but for four days only, you can purchase the entire collection for just $29!  This is a fantastic deal and it is only available from today through to Friday, April 20th at 8:00 am EST. There will be no late sales offered.

Here is the entire list of all the ebooks you’ll receive for just $29.00 when you purchase the Simplify Family Life collection.  You’ll get instant access to each of the 38 ebooks listed below:

Entrepreneurship & Blogging

Blogger Behave by Laura @ 10 Million Miles ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Make Money Blogging by Tara @ Feels Like Home ($4.99)

Tap Into Your Unique Creativity and Self Expression Webinar by Lisa @ WellGrounded Life ($39.00)

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($4.99)

Your Blogging Business: Tax Talk & Tips from a Bookkeeper Turned Blogger by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger ($4.99)

Food & Cooking

Get Lean Recipe for Success by Nisha @ Healthy Mom’s Kitchen ($37.00)

Got Dinner? by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($4.00)

How To Cook For Yourself: A Complete Beginner’s Guide by Rachael @ Kitchen Courses ($35.00)

Plan It, Don’t Panic by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($4.99)

Real Food Basics by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($6.95)

Real Food, Real Easy by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Smart Sweets by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

The Everything Beans Book by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($9.95)

Homemaking

2012 Confident Mom Weekly Household Planner by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($9.00)

Clean Start: Your Guide to Natural Home Cleaning by Michelle @ Open Eye Health ($4.95)

Complete Printables Download Pack by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($7.00)

Food on Your Face for Acne & Oily Skin by Leslie @ Crunchy Betty ($7.99)

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ Debtor to Better ($15.00)

My Buttered Life {Summer + Gift Giving Editions} by Renee @ MadeOn Hard Lotion ($10.00)

Not a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)

One Bite at a Time by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)

That Works for Me by Kristen @ We Are THAT Family ($8.00)

Marriage & Relationships

A Simple Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($4.99)

Buck Naked Marriage by Corey @ Simple Marriage ($2.99)

Entangled by Amy @ Permission to Peruse ($4.99)

The A to Z Guide: 26 Ways in 26 Days to a Happier, Healthier Marriage by The Dating Divas ($9.97)

Minimalism for Families

101 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Laura @ Journey to a Simple Life ($9.95)

321-Stop by Lori @ Loving Simple Living ($9.97)

Inside Out Simplicity by Joshua @ Becoming Minimalist ($11.99)

Simple Ways to Be More with Less by Courtney @ Be More with Less ($9.97)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom ($9.95)

Parenting & Kids

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by the Moms @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids ($7.99)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Mom ($4.99)

Nurturing Creativity by Renee @ FIMBY ($3.00)

Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda @ Not Just Cute ($9.00)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Impress Your Kids ($6.99)

The Simplify Your Family Life Sale is brought to you in part by Plan to Eat, an online meal planner that makes eating at home simple. Receive an exclusive coupon code on a one-year membership with your purchase!

Click here to purchase your collection today!

Remember the sale ends at 8 a.m. ET on April 20th, and there will be no late sales offered, so don’t wait.

Enjoy!!

Simplify Your Family Life: $375 of ebooks for $29!!! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Welcome back everyone!  We sure have enjoyed sharing our spaces with you this week.  I’ve posted the list again below of each of the bloggers involved in case you missed it.  So much inspiration to check out, wow!  I hope you were able to take away many organizing ideas to use in your own homes.  Of course what works for one won’t always work for another and we have to be careful not to play the comparison game (it’s so hard I know!) but sometimes it’s just nice to see what’s working for someone else that maybe we hadn’t considered trying before.  I’ve already heard from a number of ladies that have already made some changes in their kitchens after reading my post and you have no idea how happy that makes me.  I’m going to make organizing junkies out of all of you yet….mwahahahaha!

Home #1:  Becky from Organizing Made Fun (sharing her master bedroom and closet)
Home #2:  Jen from Iheart Organizing (sharing her laundry room and playroom)
Home #3:  Anna from Ask Anna (sharing her kitchen)
Home #4:  DaNita from Delightful Order (sharing her laundry room)
Home #5:  Leslie from Goodbye House, Hello Home (sharing her office space)
Home #6:  Becky from Clean Mama (sharing her craft/activity room + free organizing printable!)
Home #7:  Toni from A Bowl Full of Lemons (sharing her kitchen)
Home #8:  Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything (sharing her kid’s rooms)
Home #9:  Me! – sharing my kitchen

Now it’s your turn!  Please link up as many posts as you like of your organized spaces in the linky below.  This is a simultaneous link party which means if you link up here you’ll also be automatically linked up on all of the other blogs mentioned above as well.  How cool is that, so much exposure for your links!!

If you haven’t entered to win a copy of my book yet, be sure to do so here.

There’s a whole lot of organizing love going around and I like it!

Spring Into Organization Link Party!!! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Hi everyone!  A couple of weeks ago I told you about a collaboration I was doing with some fabulous bloggers that we are calling the Spring Into Organization Blogger Home Tour.  I’m really excited to share my kitchen with you on Thursday but wanted to post today to remind you about the other bloggers posting this week.

Here is the list again so you can go on over and check out all the beautifully organized spaces and hopefully get some ideas to help you organize your own spaces.  I’ve included direct links to the Monday bloggers as their posts are already live and as the week goes along I’ll update this post with the direct links to all the other posts to make them easy for you to find.

Also at each stop you have the opportunity to win a copy of my book, Clutter Rehab!  So don’t forget to enter to win as you tour along :)

Monday, March 26th
Becky from Organizing Made Fun (sharing her master bedroom and closet)
Jen from Iheart Organizing (sharing her laundry room and playroom)

Tuesday, March 27th
Anna from Ask Anna (sharing her kitchen)
DaNita from Delightful Order (sharing her laundry room)

Wednesday, March 28th
Leslie from Goodbye House, Hello Home (sharing her office space)
Becky from Clean Mama (sharing her craft/activity room + free printable!)

Thursday, March 29th
Toni from A Bowl Full of Lemons (sharing her kitchen)
Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything (sharing her kid’s rooms)
Laura from I’m an Organizing Junkie (also sharing my kitchen)

Friday, March 30th
LINK PARTY – Now it’s YOUR turn to join the tour!  This is the day for you to link up your own organized spaces.  Each of the above bloggers will feature a Spring Into Organization linky list and you’ll be able to link up at any or all of our blogs as it will be a simultaneous link party.

Let’s have some organized fun, whoot!!!

Spring Into Organization Home Tour Week! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

image credit: shutterstock

As some of you may know I absolutely hate making decisions.  Yep it’s true, decisions stress me out and as a mom and wife you know how many decisions need to be made day by day.  It just gets to be too much sometimes. What school to send your child to, what to feed the kids day after day, what to wear, where to go, what to blog about, what friends to visit, what to keep, what to give away, what color hair dye to buy, which movies to watch…blah blah blah. You know what I’m talking about.  I am just not that person if someone asks me to decide something I’ll immediately be able to do it.  Hence the reason it is taking me so long to decide on our winners for the organizing challenge.  Sheesh!  Sometimes it just borders on ridiculous as well.  For instance, my friend just called to invite me out for lunch and between the two of us we couldn’t decide where to go.  She ended up having to ask her hubby for help :)

Last week on one of my giveaway posts I shared how long it took me to pick out a paint color for our bedroom.  Seriously it took way too long because I just couldn’t decide.  Silly old paint.  Would it really have been the end of the world if I picked the wrong color?  Well no not really but also yes because in my old house I did pick a wrong color of paint for our bedroom, a hideous bright gold color in fact.  It was awful but because I am way too lazy there was no way I was painting the entire room again.  So I lived with it and hated it every single day.  Not a great way to create a relaxing sanctuary and a decision I regretted until the day we moved.  I should have just repainted but I couldn’t take the pressure of having to pick another color.  So once you know there are consequences for your choices it makes making decisions that much harder.

Many of you chimed in with the decisions that are hardest for you to make.  It was so nice to know that I am not alone in that let me tell you.  Here are just a few examples:

I have trouble deciding where to start- the clutter seems overwhelming!

I have a hard time deciding what kids papers to keep, and what to toss.

I always have a hard time making decisions about everything. My big one is deciding what stuff (junk!) to keep and what to give away, its so hard to give away a lifetime of memories!

My hardest thing is trying to figure out what to do with all the crap in the “junk drawer.” I know I should probably throw most of it out but, I fall into….we might need it someday trap. :)

I always have trouble making decision on what things to buy to organize. I research and research until I cannot research no more.

The biggest thing I keep debating on is going entirely paperless with my to do list. I go back and forth between hand writing it and using an app on my iPhone… I just can’t decide!!!

See what I mean, decisions are hard!

So how do I stay organized when we all know that decision making is at the crux of living an organized life?

Clutter = procrastinated decisions

Ahh good question right? There are tactics I put into place to help me alleviate the decision making process as much as possible.  Yep I bypass it altogether and the decision gets made for me.  It’s the only way I can function with the constant chaos and clutter that comes with raising kids and running a household.  I reduce the number of decisions I have to make and boy what a difference it makes!

1.  Use containers to give visual cues to act

Like with my filing, I use a basket to determine for me when it’s time to file.  I don’t decide, my basket decides for me.  I use bins to decide for me how much to keep of something so I know when the bin is full something must be tossed.  The bin determines for me when it’s time to act.  There is no waffling between well should I or shouldn’t I, the decision is made when the bin is full.

2.  Assign “expiration” dates

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to throw out a bottle of salad dressing way past its prime or even a bottle of expired medication?  Expiration dates on products make the decision for us whether or not to keep something.  What a relief it can be!  But what about products that don’t have expiration dates?  I make my own!  I have a one year rule in my house that if something hasn’t been used in a one year period it has to go.  One year means I cover every season so when it comes to making the tough decision about my stuff, the decision is made for me.  See the pattern developing here.  I don’t have to think about it.  One year not used = toss.  Whew, that was easy!  Enforce your own expiration dates and take some pressure off yourself.

3.  Start small

Sometimes starting off with big organizing decisions can be daunting so think about starting with small decisions first and then work your way up to the bigger ones.  In other words don’t let what to do with your Gramma’s china be the first thing you deal with.  Instead decide what to do with the 500 envelopes taking up residence in your office drawer.  In my experience working with clients I notice that it takes awhile for them to warm up to the idea of dealing with their clutter.  They start off very attached to their stuff and in the process of making itty bitty decisions they build the confidence to go bigger and bigger especially once they taste the freedom that de-cluttering brings.  It’s so fun seeing their confidence grow and the a-ha moment kick in.  Once this happens there is no stopping them.  That’s why you’ll often see organizers on TV shows like Consumed do a speed purge to begin with to get those purging muscles revving.

4.  Practice, practice, practice

I can’t stress this one enough.  Like anything if you only do it sporadically you’ll never master it.  Consistently practice making organizing decisions and over time it does get easier and easier to do I promise.  Here is a great example of how walking through the de-clutter process by asking key questions helped me choose between two items which one to pass along to someone else.  I do this frequently and it’s this process of really asking myself these thorough questions as I evaluate something has made it possible for me to honestly say I’ve never regretted a decision to part with something.

5.  Ask a friend for their opinion

Friends see things that we might not and are coming from a viewpoint perhaps completely different than our own.  This is helpful when we have alternate scenarios to choose from and can’t make up our minds on something.  Whether it’s deciding if we should toss a sweater we’ve loved for perhaps far too long or the color of paint to choose for our walls, friends can be valuable resources.  An honest friend that can gently say to me, why in the world would you ever keep that shirt, is a friend I want in my life forever.  Just be careful not to ask too many friends for opinions at one time as you’ll only make things more complicated for yourself.

If you struggle with making decisions like I do, I hope you find these tips helpful.  What would you add to the above list?

How to make decisions about your stuff when you hate to make decisions is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

Nine organizing bloggers, myself included, have teamed up to show you some of our most organized rooms.

The Spring Into Organization Blogger Home Tour begins on Monday, March 26th at Organizing Made Fun and then you will be lead through 2 to 3 homes each day to be inspired to get your home and even your finances organized.

There will also be a FREE printable along the way and TWO chances to win a copy of my book, Clutter Rehab!!

The tour will cover kitchens, craft room, kids’ room, laundry room, playroom, master bedroom and more!

Here’s the schedule of the organized bloggers involved:

Monday, March 26th
Becky from Organizing Made Fun
Jen from Iheart Organizing

Tuesday, March 27th
Anna from Ask Anna
DaNita from Delightful Order

Wednesday, March 28th
Leslie from Goodbye House, Hello Home
Becky from Clean Mama

Thursday, March 29th
Toni from A Bowl Full of Lemons
Leanne from Organize and Decorate Everything
Laura from I’m an Organizing Junkie

Friday, March 30th
LINK PARTY – Now it’s YOUR turn to join the tour!  This is the day for you to link up your own organized spaces.  Each of the above bloggers will feature a Spring Into Organization linky list and you’ll be able to link up at any or all of our blogs as it will be a simultaneous link party.

Are you in?  Grab the button below for your sidebars, organize a space in your home and come on back to at the end of the month to link up with us.  It’s going to be a fun parade of organized spaces, you don’t want to miss it!!

Spring Into Organization Blogger Home Tour Coming Soon! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this time of year and all the attention that organization gets.  Everywhere you look people are talking about it, blogs are fired up about it, stores are featuring bins and baskets galore and of course every magazine has something about organizing on it’s cover.

I live in a pretty small town in Alberta, Canada that has a population of about 9000 people.  The closest we have to a store carrying organizing supplies is Wal-mart but after seeing Jen’s post yesterday, Wal-mart doesn’t even come close to the organizing bliss that Target carries, wah.  Although I guess that may be a blessing for my bank account because I could be in trouble otherwise!  Jen showed much more restraint than I ever could I’ll tell you that much.

Hello, my name is Laura and I’m addicted to organizing.

So how do I get my must have organizing fix you ask?  Magazines!  Magazines with oodles of pictures for me to drool over.  I’ve got my hands on three right now that are just scrumptious (not in an eating way though, I don’t eat my magazines, that would be weird but I do drool all over them just like I would if I really were eating something scrumptious).

This first one came in the mail.  Remember a little while ago I told you about a brand new organizing magazine on the market called Getting Organized Magazine?  Well my first issue finally arrived just yesterday, whoot!  It’s only 38 pages long but I’m sure it will grow as they get going.  Love their tag line:  treat yourself to some sanity.  Why thank you, don’t mind if I do :)

You can find out more about this magazine by clicking the button below and when you subscribe you get a FREE ebook as well!

Then while at the drug store the newest edition of Storage (Spring 2012) hit the racks so of course it found it’s way into my basket.

Then while there my eye caught the word organize again, this time on another magazine.  I had to take it home, I can’t help myself!

This particular picture inside caught my eye because of the happy face mugs in the top corner.  Ahhhh

I got all excited about it because guess who got a happy face mug for Christmas?  Me!  My daughter knows that next to organizing I am crazy about happy faces so she bought it for me.  What does that have to do with organizing?  Not much, I’m just a strange cat and the littlest things amuse me :)

Giveaway Time:

So I didn’t forget about you my lovely readers.  You know I always pick up an extra Storage magazine when I see it to giveaway. And in honor of January and the organizing bliss all around I thought I’d throw in a copy of my book, Clutter Rehab, too.  So one person will win both.  To enter just leave a comment on this post telling me what your #1 spot to organize this month in your home is.  Just a reminder though that if you’ve got a room that needs a whole lot of TLC don’t forget to take before pictures before you get started.  You’ll be able to use it for my 29 Day Organizational Challenge coming in February.  Yay!

Comments must be left by Saturday, January 14th at 2:00 pm PST to be eligible.  Winner chosen at random.

See ya!

Storage and Organizing Magazines – Oh My! + giveaway! (closed) is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

credit: shutterstock

As I mentioned yesterday when I told you about the 5 Simple Ways free ebook, I’m once again joining in on the “5 Simple Ways” series for 2012.  A number of bloggers (see below), myself included, are each writing a post about 5 Simple Ways to do something in our respective niches.

Last year I wrote about 5 simple ways to organize your home and this year I’m sharing 5 simple ways to organize  your home without spending the big bucks.  This topic is near and dear to my heart because nothing frustrates me more than when I hear others say they are putting off an organizing project until they can afford to get organized.  Trust me when I say, it does not have to cost a lot of money to get organized.  It certainly can, one visit to the Container Store will confirm that.  When I visited the store this past October in NYC I nearly fell over backwards when I saw this plastic drawer unit for $109 buck-a-roos.

Granted they had a pretty poppy motif but really $109.00???  For plastic?  Yikes!

1.  Follow the PROCESS

I just wrote about my PROCESS acronym the other day and by following these steps you will find you will save yourself so much money.  How?  Because the containerizing step is actually the fourth step of the PROCESS not the first.  Before rushing out to buy baskets and bins (trust me I know it’s hard to resist, especially at this time of the year!) do your sort and purge first.  That way you’ll ensure you’re not just trying to organize clutter which is a big no-no!  Throwing clutter (things you don’t use regularly and/or love) into bins and baskets is still clutter no matter how organized it is.  Plus the best part is purging is FREE!

2.  Shop the dollar store

Oh my how I love the dollar store for organizing bins.  It might take awhile to find a dollar store that stocks up on these types of products but when you do find one that looks like this it’s bliss baby, pure bliss!

I use these everywhere in my home.  Granted they aren’t the prettiest of organizing tools but you know what, if it’s what you can afford, it’s what you can afford.  For functionality they do the job, they establish limits and boundaries which is ultimately more important (in my book) than just looking pretty.

3.  Shop thrift stores and garage sales

Both of these stops are great resources for finding inexpensive organizing tools.  I’ve found some very sweet deals at both.  The trick to this though is knowing what you need (see the first step of the PROCESS) and keeping your list and measurements with you at all times.  With thrift stores it helps if you can pop in regularly as inventory is constantly changing.  Makes friends with the owners and they’ll often tell you when they put out new stock and might even hold something for you if they know what you are looking for.

4.  Think creatively

While at these garage sales and thrift stores, be open to using items in new ways to organize spaces around your home.   I love coming up with different ways to use a product other than what it was originally intended for.  I really get quite the high from it!  For instance, microwave stands are a fantastic organizing tool as are plate racks.  Who knew?  It really opens up your possibilities for organizing solutions.

Here my daughter uses a skirt hanger to keep her bags off the floor:

5.  Recycle

One of the most inexpensive ways to organize is to simply use what you have around the house.  Tissue and tea boxes are fabulous for junk drawers for creating those ever important limits and boundaries we talked about early.  All it takes is some scissors to cut the tops off and you are in business!  Hairspray cups are the perfect size for holding push pins and paper clips.  Empty wipes containers, old diaper boxes and pre-divided liquor store boxes make excellent storage containers.  Also cut down cereal boxes work awesome as magazine holders.  The possibilities are endless really!

Have you’ve gotten creative with inexpensive storage solutions?

Please also visit the other participants in this 5 Simple Ways series:

• Springs Bargains-5 Simple Ways To Save More By Wasting Less
• Heavenly Homemakers- 5 Simple Ways To Accomplish More Each Day
• A Familiar Path- 5 Simple Ways To Make The Most Of Your Pictures
• Smockity Frocks- 5 Simply Ways To Occupy Preschoolers
• My Blessed Life- 5 Simple Ways To Update Your Home Decor
• The Happy Housewife- 5 Simple Ways To Save Money In 2012
• Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures- 5 Simple Ways To Save Money In The Kitchen
• Balancing Beauty and Bedlam- 5 Simple Ways To Freshen Up Your Wardrobe for 2012
• Southern Saver- 5 Simple Ways To Not Get Overwhelmed in Couponing

Pin It

5 Simple Ways to Organize Without Spending Big Bucks is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

The first one (the one on the left) is called Storage and is a Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest magazine.  This one is the Fall/Winter 2011 issue.  I believe it is put it out quarterly and as far as I know you can’t get a subscription to it.  I bought mine at Wal-mart but I’ve also seen it at my local grocery stores.  If you want though you can purchase it online, along with other BH&G special publications and back issues, here.

The next magazine (the one on the right), Storage Solutions, was harder to track down.  Again I purchased mine at Wal-mart but I looked for it online and couldn’t find it anywhere.  Some information that might help you is that at the top of the magazine it says Country Collectibles #64 – 2011 and it is published annually by Harris Publications, Inc.

Now for some good news though (I announced it on Facebook earlier this week but I know not everyone follows me there).  There is a brand new organizing magazine coming out soon!  So doing the happy dance right now.  I was so sad three years ago when my beloved Organize magazine stopping being published.  Oh how I enjoyed it so.  Now though I rejoice that a new magazine all about organizing will enter the marketplace.

It’s called Getting Organized Magazine and it looks like it’s going to be fantastic.  Printed versions don’t launch until January 2012 but you can get a sneak peek on their website.  Also if you subscribe now you’ll get a free organizing ebook to tide you over in the meantime.  I’ve already ordered mine and have started the countdown until it arrives.  Woohoo!!!

Anyone else get as excited about these kinds of things as I do?  Anyone?  Anyone?

Getting Organized Magazine Coming Soon! is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie

In nearly every session of my online workshops, Organizing 101: Learn How to Get Organized and Quick + Simple Clutter Control, someone asks: What can I do about so-and-so’s clutter? While “so-and-so” changes from workshop to workshop—sometimes it’s a husband, other times it’s a roommate, and often so-and-so is a son or a daughter—the essence of the question is always the same: If I’m going to put in the time and effort to get organized and declutter my home, how can I make sure my efforts aren’t undermined by the clutter bug(s) that live with me?

My answer may surprise you. What I always suggest is that at the onset, instead of worrying about the other clutter-bugs in your home, focus solely on you and your clutter. Now if other people in your home are contributing to the clutter situation, it’s very likely that their clutter is far more noticeable and annoying to you than your own clutter. This is why your instinct is to worry about them. But, here’s the thing: If there’s any clutter in your home with your name on it, if your so-and-so isn’t noticing it now, he most definitely will when you ask him to do something about his clutter.

When you start with yourself, you will be standing on solid ground when you ask other people to jump on the clutter-busting bandwagon later on. Furthermore, you start the process of showing your family what is now expected in your home. Begin by focusing on spaces that are yours and yours alone—such as your side of the bedroom or your craft space or your drawer in the bathroom or the laundry room, if that is your domain. This will help remove the fear that someone else will mess up your hard work—since they don’t use this space anyway — and it also shows that you’re creating these changes for you, which sends a very powerful message as well.

Share your journey. As you start with your own pockets of clutter, share your decluttering journey with your family. Explain why you’re putting in the time and effort to declutter your spaces and get organized. Tell your family members the benefits you intend to create. Then, as you make progress on your projects, share your successes and even your roadblocks with them. Share how good it feels to clear clutter and take steps forward on an important goal. Show your family members your organized spaces so they can see how great your spaces look. In short, share your enthusiasm…because enthusiasm is contagious.

Lead by example. When you declutter a room, the energy in that room shifts…and others will feel it, too, even if they weren’t involved in the decluttering process. As you continue on your personal organizing journey, you may begin to see, as many past participants of my online workshops have found, that others will naturally jump on the organizing bandwagon! As they hear about and see and feel the benefits you’re creating, they just may want some of that for themselves. But if not, don’t get discouraged. Simply continue on with your journey, tackling your organizing projects and creating new organized habits.

Getting your clutter-bugs on board. Once you’re in control of your own clutter, then you’ll be sending a consistent message about the new rules of engagement in your home. If the clutter-bug(s) haven’t jumped on board on their own, this is the time to sit down and have a conversation with him, her or them. Share what you want and review the benefits you’ve experienced as a result of your organizing journey. Tell them how much more energized, yet calm and peaceful, you feel now. Share with them how confident you feel when someone goes into one of your organized areas, and tell them how much more time you have now because you no longer search through stacks and piles for your things. In short, explain how worthwhile your decluttering efforts have been for you.

Ask and listen. Next, ask, and really listen to, what your family members want. Perhaps the people you share your home with have a different clutter comfort zone than you. It’s possible that your clutter-bugs don’t notice when their own things are out and cluttering up your space. If leaving things out is an automatic habit, then they may not even see it. Because of this, during your conversation make it your goal to reach an agreement that is a better place for both of you—one that gets you closer to your comfort zone, while recognizing and respecting that the people you share your home with may have a different perspective. You may find that your family’s comfort zone changes over time as they begin taking action on their own clutter.

Offer support. Once you and your so-and-sos are on the same page in terms of the goal you’re both after, then ask how you can support him, her or them in achieving the new goal. It’s possible your clutter-bugs may need help setting up new systems, as well creating new habits. In other words, after you talk about how you want things to be, it will still take time for those new habits to cement. If you know that up front and act as a support system, it will help all of you.

Take it one step at a time. When you’re at this point in the process, you’ll know that organizing is a combination of projects and habits. Just as you embarked on your organizing journey one step at time, give your family members permission to do the same. Notice their progress, and say thank you when you see them taking steps in the direction of your clutter comfort zone. As a past workshop participant said: “’Thanks’ makes a huge difference. It makes for a positive, cooperative atmosphere in our home, which is the ultimate goal.” I couldn’t agree more.

Whether your home needs a complete organizational overhaul, or you have just a room or two that is outside of your clutter comfort zone, the six-lesson/seven-week workshop Organizing 101 shows you how to create an organized space you’ll love. With the help of  Aby you’ll learn simple to implement strategies, and be motivated to take action and create change in your home. The workshop begins next Tuesday, January 25, 2011.

Do you feel like your days are out of control as you bounce from one task to another? Do you feel like your to-do list is never ending with little room for guilt-free fun? If you’re dissatisfied with your current approach to managing your time and your to-do list, the six-lesson/eight-week workshop It’s About Time is for you! Learn how to make the most of your time—so you can have more fun and get more done!  This online workshop begins February 17, 2011.

About simplify 101: There’s a whole new way to get organized—simplify 101′s online workshops. By making the process creative and fun, simplify 101′s online workshops teach students how to implement organizing and time management solutions that really work, putting an end to disorder and the stress that comes along with it. Visit simplify 101 to sign up for a monthly organizing newsletter or take a tour of the online workshop system.

What to Do about Other People’s Clutter is a post from: I'm an Organizing Junkie