I've been collecting horror stories from clients, of other "professionals" in my field they've hired who have done crappy jobs, and I feel like venting about it today.

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I'm glad that professional organizing is one of those careers that's open to self-starters. I'm glad that I didn't have to invest years of schooling and tons of money to get a degree so that I could be an organizer. But the problem with the fact that anyone can be an organizer, stager, or housecleaner is that anyone can be an organizer, stager, or housecleaner. And many of them will suck. There is a fairly new title created by NAPO: Certified Professional Organizer. It requires a certain number of hours of work experience and a written exam. I appreciate this, and I may take the test someday so I can put those letters after my name. (Also so I can charge more money, woohoo!) It will help give clients some assurance when choosing an organizer.

I know there are many people who would like to hire me but can't afford my rate. I'm all for bargain shopping, and there are beginning organizers who do a fine job at $20/hr. But I want everyone to remember that you deserve to be treated with kindness and respect, and that organizers should be giving you more control over your belongings, not less.

I have this small maple pedestal desk - well, had this desk, until about an hour ago - since childhood. I wrote stories on it, drew pictures on it, typed on it with my then-beloved electric typewriter. It originally belonged to my great-grandfather. Once I outgrew it, and it proved unusable for computer use, I used it as a TV/stereo stand and as extra storage space. Its varnish was badly damaged, both from long use and from being taped shut (and then the tape being ripped off) during a move many years ago. But still I hung onto it, thoughtlessly.

But recently I decided that no, I was never going to make good on my self-promise to refinish the thing, and even if I did, I had no use for it. Ilana already has a matching desk and dresser, an adult friend's from childhood. So I realized that, if I am to remain consistent with my organizing belief system, the desk had to go.
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This coming Saturday, Jennifer Hunter Professional Organizing and the West Medford Community Center present....

A Toy Swap!
Saturday, June 7, 10:00 to 2:00.
West Medford Community Center, 111 Arlington St., Medford, MA

---Bring unwanted toys in good workable condition, no more than one shopping cart's worth, and bring home toys that are new to you!
---No clothing, anything larger than a tricycle, or violent toys.
---Each kid must be accompanied by an adult, and vice-versa.
---At noon, I will give a 1/2 hr. talk on decluttering and organizing with kids.
---Toys left over will be donated to Cradles to Crayons.

Questions? Email me at findyourfloor at gmail dot com.
Registration isn't necessary, but is appreciated. Call the WMCC at 781-483-3042.

If possible, please drop off toys between 4:00 and 6:00 PM tomorrow, Friday, June 6.

(Crossposted with great abandon)

Hey everyone. So I'm hosting this toy swap on Saturday, June 7, between 10 and 2, at the West Medford Community Center (111 Arlington St, Medford).

I'm looking for volunteers to help everything run smoothly. I have absolutely no idea how many people will show up. It could be complete insanity, or it could be really dull. But I figure I should prepare for the former.

Here's the amazing deal: For every hour you volunteer, I will barter a half-hour free organizing time. You will make the equivalent of $25 per hour! You can also donate your organizing time to someone else as a gift.

We're asking belatedly that people drop toys off the day before between 4 and 6 pm, but I don't think many will take advantage of that, so I can handle that myself. I need help receiving toys, placing them into broad categories on the tables, handing out garbage bags and making tags for them (for claimed items), and making sure people follow the rules in their swapping.

I will especially need coverage between 12 and 12:30, when I'll be giving a talk on organizing with kids. (Gee, I should probably write that up soon.) And at the end of the swap, when I will be completely exhausted, I'll need help cleaning up, maybe getting items onto the donation truck, and putting the tables/chairs back in their original places.

So..... Who's up for it?

I've been learning about the unique challenges of organizing with children, not only because I have clients with children (and a seven-year-old of my own), but also because many of my clients point to childhood experiences as a significant source of their clutter/disorganization problems.

It seems to me that children's possessions are probably the only things they feel they have control over, besides their own bodies. So they may often be very attached to their things, even objecting to the removal of the tiniest broken toy.

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Jennifer Hunter Professional Organizing and the West Medford Community Center present....

A Toy Swap!
Saturday, June 7, 10:00 to 2:00.
West Medford Community Center, 111 Arlington St., Medford, MA

---Bring unwanted toys in good workable condition, no more than one shopping cart's worth, and bring home toys that are new to you!
---No clothing, or anything larger than a tricycle.
---Each kid must be accompanied by an adult. Each adult must bring a kid (to weed out Ebay resellers!). Check with me if you have a special case.
---I'll give a short (1/2 hr) talk on decluttering and organizing with kids at some point in the proceedings, probably at noon.
---Toys left over will be donated to Cradles to Crayons.

Questions? Email me at findyourfloor at gmail dot com.
Registration isn't necessary, but is appreciated. Call the WMCC at 781-483-3042.

It might be assumed that I became an organizer because I hate "things" and want to eradicate them, leaving nothing but empty space behind. But something I have realized along the way is that I became an organizer partly because I love things. I want to take care of them, revere them, use them well, enjoy them - and help other people do the same. I was reminded of this by a quote I heard on an Alan Watts podcast (a recording of a lecture, since he passed away in the early '70s). Watts was a British man who excelled at explaining Zen Buddhism to Westerners. I couldn't find a date for this lecture, but it was probably from the '50s or '60s.

“True materialists are people who love material, who cherish wood, and stone, and wheat, and eggs, and animals, and above all, the earth, and treat it with a reverence that is due to one’s own body.”
---Alan Watts, Introduction to Zen

If you have fifteen children, you probably won't be able to care for them very well. But if you have only, say, one to three children, you'll be easily able to give them all the love and attention they need. I feel that way about belongings. We need to keep just as many belongings as we can adequately appreciate and enjoy, as well as care for - and lovingly give the rest up for adoption.

I also think materialism means owning fewer things of higher quality, rather than a large amount of cheap stuff. I've been working on this with my wardrobe. Even though Goodwill is fun in terms of the hunt, shopping in a regular clothing store (albeit, focusing on sale items) ensures that I'll find clothing of higher quality with a much smaller time investment. And I have shuddered slightly at paying $50 for a pair of pants and then another $15 to have them hemmed, but I am doing so because I deserve to wear nice clothes that fit me well, without the stress of searching for three hours at Goodwill and coming up with nothing, or something that "will do" but I don't love. I also like to keep my clothing supply to a modest level because it's much easier to find things to wear if I'm not constantly skipping past the items that I don't like much or don't fit me right. It also makes it much easier to switch out my clothes for the seasons.

OMG, TWO POSTS IN ONE DAY?!?!
I know, shock and awe.

I just want to share an interesting tip I just learned on the NAPO chat email list: f you have a red-and-white tin of a McCormick spice, it is at least FIFTEEN (15) years old. Eew!

McCormick has a page on which you can type in the code on the bottom of your McCormick spice container and find out how old it is. I don't know why they don't just put expiration dates on the damn things, or at least the year of manufacture, but there you are.

They also provide this info:
Ground spices are good for 2-3 years
Whole spices: 3-4 years
Seasoning blends: 1-2 years
Herbs: 1-3 years
Extracts: 4 years, except pure vanilla, which lasts indefinitely

If you have no clue of the vintage of some of your herbs/spices, I recommend this: Crush it up and smell it, or taste a little. If it has lost its flavor/scent, ditch it. If it's still tasty/fragrant, put this month and year on it; you may not know when you got it, but you know it was in your possession today! Then you can throw it out based on the guidelines above, or a bit sooner depending on your intuition. I don't think anyone ever died from eating an old herb or spice, but your food will definitely taste better if they're only kept within the time guidelines.

I am planning to host an event at which kids swap their toys and books. This will be like a clothing swap, except the goal will be twofold: to get new stuff, and to reduce the amount of stuff the kids own. Therefore, each kid will be asked to bring about two milk crates' volume full of toys and books, and to go home with only one milk crate worth. This is only a guideline, and what to bring home is ultimately up to the parents, but the two milk crates are the maximum amount of stuff each kid can bring to swap. Whatever's left will be donated to some charity or other (TBD).

Poll #1172098 Kids
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

On Which Date Could You Attend a Kids' Stuff Swap at My House?

If you're having trouble keeping your desk neat in your home office, I highly recommend getting a nimble adolescent cat whose greatest joy is to knock things off it onto the floor.

My desk (as you might hope) is already pretty neat, but my new kitty is definitely an inspiration to improve.

Frugality is one of my passions. That is, not austerity, but finding creative ways to save money and still live the way I want to. One of the reasons I don't mind bringing the occasional bag or box of donations to Goodwill for my clients is that it gives me a great excuse to go hunting there. The spot I'm talking about specifically is the basement of the Goodwill on Elm Street in Davis Square, Somerville. It always amazes me when people don't realize it has a basement; that's where all the cool stuff is! (I do shop for clothes there, too, but that's more of a time investment.) So, the other day, I saw a ton of organizing supplies there, and it got me thinking how many supplies (standard and creative) I've gotten from there. So I thought I'd list the types of organizing supplies that you can often find at thrift shops. This won't work if you need all your fileboxes or trays to match, of course. But things can always be painted.

Disclaimer: Beware the tendency to increase your clutter because the stuff there is so cheap. Be choosy! I think the thrill of the hunt is the fun part, anyway. Sometimes I leave with nothing; often just one or two items. There will always be new things next time.
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That's all that I've brainstormed in about 45 minutes; I'm sure I haven't covered it all. Also, think outside the box to find unusual uses for things! And remember, things can always be painted if they're ugly. I just wouldn't buy anything that's going to touch food unless it looks pristine - bacteria can get into scuffs and scratches.

I'll be posting some of my thoughts on organizing for/with kids next time, as requested!

Things I have recently decided to shed:

--A $200 pair of shoes that I wore for 3 years even though they never fit exactly right. Even though they were all worn out and provided no support and still were too short, I was reluctant to toss them in the trash because, hey, $200! But I did it;
--An old sewing machine that I got for free and never learned how to use because it turned out to be idiosyncratic and I didn't want to pay someone to train me how to use it, but I also didn't buy a new sewing machine because I had a "Perfectly Good" one already (up for grabs);
--A massaging foot bath that seemed like a good idea but I realized I would never use; I think I got it for free or little, but it's taking up a fair chunk of closet space (up for grabs);
--A bike that I bought several years ago and only rode a couple of times (gone to another home). It was hard to admit that I'm just not a bike-riding sort of person, and that my $125 was wasted.

I'm also starting to realize that for most items it's not really worth the trouble of selling them on Ebay, so I'm selling them to friends or donating them to Goodwill. It feels so good to make more space in my home. I feel lighter every time I let something go. There's sadness too, because everything I shed is something that I've decided is "not me," and sometimes it's disappointing. But everything I keep IS "me", and my space is just getting more and more beautiful and pleasing to me.

I'm happy to report that business has picked up, and in fact next week I have SEVEN days in a row with sessions booked. This is somewhat insane, but I'm only doing one session a day, and in the interest of keeping my energy up, I will be not doing much else!

Hey, is there anything in particular anyone would like to see me write about here? I'm open to suggestions. Unlike my personal LJ, this one isn't just a forum for whatever my brain feels like spewing out. :-) I'm hoping to provide some information and inspiration about organizing.

I'm focusing on the home, here; being organized in the workplace is a great thing, too.

Time - Figure out about how much time you usually spend looking for items; then multiply that by your usual hourly wage. This is how much you'll save by being organized. Even if you begin spending more time than you did before on maintaining your space, it should be less than you wasted searching for items (and if it's not, then systems/methods need adjusting!). Being able to put your hand on items when you need them, instead of having to move things around to get to them, will also save you time.

Paperwork - Organized paperwork allows you to pay your bills on time, saving you money in late fees, penalties, and interest; this is also good for your credit rating. It also allows you to find checks, rebates, and coupons before they expire.

Health - If you can reach all areas in your home for cleaning, you can avoid buildups of dust, mold, and pet hair, and even sometimes infestations (your pantry will be clear enough for you to notice mouse droppings, for instance). This may reduce your risk for various medical problems. You will also avoid injuries by having a clear path for walking, with no items around to trip or slip on, or bump into, either from the clutter itself or your efforts to move around it. Improved health, besides being preferable in itself, will also save you money in medical bills, medicine, and lost work time.

Knowing what you have - If you know what you own, you won't buy more of the same item by mistake.

Preserving the stuff you use and love - Being organized allows you to keep items in a way that will keep them from getting damaged; for instance, storing papers or fabrics in a dry area and fragile things in a safe space. Disorganization often leads to stuff getting damaged: by being crushed under other things, getting dirty, being water damaged, dropped on the floor, or damaged from disuse (such as batteries in an item leaking acid onto the contacts).

[Added later:] The cost of space! Living in the Metro Boston area, how could I forget? The excess stuff you have costs you money to keep it, whether that means owning/renting a bigger home than you otherwise might, or paying for offsite storage.

Plus, some of the stuff you own but don't need or love may be able to bring you some income if you sell it.

This is just the list off the top of my head; if anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them! Polite dissent is also welcome.

One of the things I've learned from organizing professionally is that sometimes people just want company when they're organizing, for amusement and moral support. So I thought it might be fun if I got together a bunch of people, each with one box of paperwork that needs sorting and/or addressing, and we could support/amuse each other. I will also be on hand in a professional capacity to provide information and help, and I'd have a small amount of back-up supplies, like paperclips, stapler, and markers. And snacks!

I'd charge $5 per person, just to cover some of the costs. Yeah, this is partly a marketing event. In other words, I hope it'll make someone want to hire me, or at the very least, mention the party or me to someone else who wants to hire me. But it's also a fun way to practice my l33t organizing skillz and spend time with my LJ friends, old and new.

I know some people might be uncomfortable with others seeing some of their paperwork (like bank statements or medical records), and separating the sensitive stuff from everything else would be a big paperwork sorting task in itself, so I'll write something up about confidentiality that I'll have folks sign. But no one has to touch anyone else's papers; mostly, I imagine, people will be working in parallel.

Poll #1135363 Paperwork Party
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Would you come to a paperwork party?

I made some changes that were very helpfully suggested. Go check it out.

Hey, I finally sprang (sprung?) for a paid account, so now I can have many userpics (note new one here), and I can maybe even embed my LJ in my website, if I can figure out how to do that, or some nice geek wants to help me.

So here's what I've been thinking about recently, in terms of what you might call "meta"-organizing:

A question that often comes up is where to start organizing, when someone wants to do an entire apartment or house. I think that prioritization is a very important part of the whole organizing process. In order to make the right decisions in that area, I think it's important to know exactly why you're prioritizing what you are. This lets you change the order to fit your needs, if necessary, and helps give you more initiative to move ahead with whatever choice you make.

Usually, my clients choose to start with the most public area first, since it's the first area that visitors see, and then gradually move further back toward the private areas of the home. And often, in client homes that are already partly organized, I see this sort of prioritization already playing out, with a very stark contrast between reasonably neat (or even extremely neat) living room/dining room/kitchen areas, and extreme disorder/clutter in the bedrooms and private bathrooms.

( So what? )

Hi everyone! I'm still alive! I realize it's been an eternity (in Internet time) since I last posted. But I'm back, I have a few things I want to gab about soon, and I've updated my website. Now it's just www.jenniferhunter.com, no "/organizing.html." I've taken down the writing stuff, since it's all old news, and it's not a focus in my life right now. Maybe I'll put it back up somewhere eventually. Be sure to check out the expanded Frequently-Asked Questions, and my MUCH-expanded links page.

I just searched back through about a year's worth of entries on my personal LJ to try to pinpoint when I started doing professional organizing. (I have not organized my entries with regard to tags or memories yet, though it seems like it'd be fun!) And fortunately I said "Yesterday I did my very first professional organizing job" on July 26, 2003. So now when people ask me how many years of experience I have, I can answer "Four." Now I need to figure out exactly when it was that I started working to make organizing my primary career. Probably about a year ago, which is when I joined NAPO.

Things are really slow at the moment, work-wise, but perhaps it's just because everyone's busy with Xmas-related stuff. I'm using it as a chance to catch up on various background tasks. I'm guessing that New Year's resolutions will bring me a bunch of new clients!

I have a feeling that some folks may think that just because I organize professionally that my home is perfectly organized. This is so not true! Organizing is a process. One's situation, needs, and priorities are always changing, and although my home is definitely in good shape, there is always something that can be done better. I will never be completely organized, nor will anyone else reading this.* Kind of sad, but true.

So, I was looking through my "Manuals" file today, trying to find the one that came with my external hard drive (I had put it in the "Computer" file, oops). As I generally do, as I went, I was removing for recycling those manuals to items I didn't have anymore, and putting aside the manuals for items I was selling or giving away. (And letting the manuals suggest other things to give away, such as my "STOPATAK" personal alarm thingy, which I have never used.)

This is when I realized that I also had several manuals that came with items I still have, but which I never refer to. These manuals were for the following items: Curling iron, table fan, Hitachi Magic Wand (ahem), French press coffee maker, and bike helmet. I could see why someone might need the manuals when she first used the bike helmet (for correct fit) or French press -- but a massager, curling iron, and table fan are really not complex instruments. Why did I save those manuals in the first place? I don't need to be told, "Do not use this curling iron in the bathtub." So they're outta here!

Another story: I was talking to my almost 7-yr-old daughter on the phone, and she asked me what I was doing (I always wear a headset while on the phone, so I can multitask). I told her I was folding this shirt that I loved, but which was falling apart. She said, "Now, you know what an organizer would say: If it's falling apart, get rid of it!" She was right! But I decided to mend it instead of tossing it. (This won't really fix the problem but it'll make it less noticeable.) Lest anyone get on my case for this bit of clinginess, I lost a bunch of weight recently, so my wardrobe is quite sparse. Also, my pile of clothes to be mended is still pretty small. I finally did my ironing (while watching What Not to Wear), so mending is next.

So, those are a couple of examples of my own organizing process.

Last week I only had 1 organizing session, whereas I usually have 3-4 sessions a week. I was half-afraid all my clients had simultaneously decided I sucked, but as I guessed, everyone was just recovering from Thanksgiving madness/lethargy and had stuff to catch up on. This week, I'm back to 3 sessions. Yay!
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*If someone lived a very ascetic lifestyle, like a monk of some sort with the barest of essential possessions, I can imagine he might manage it. But if you're hanging around on the Internet, you're probably immersed enough in Western consumerist culture that you're not that kind of person (hey, neither am I!).

Before you do your Thanksgiving shopping, why not give the inside of your refrigerator a thorough cleaning? That way you can get all the old stuff gone and make room for that brining turkey, plus it will be all pretty and shiny when relatives and friends poke their heads in. :-)

I just did this today and it felt great, except for the sad reminder of how much food didn't get eaten before it went bad. Not a ton, but it's still a waste. It's always something to work on.

Happy Thanksgiving!