The B Spot

Is getting organized something you’ve wanted to cross off your list? Need help doing it, but are worried about what it might cost? Here are a few facts and figures to help you decide if it’s in your budget.

A 3-hour session ($240) gets most people started with sorting a couple of closets, an entryway and closet, or a kitchen.  I’ve never left a client’s place after a 3-hour session where they haven’t said “Wow, what a difference!”

An office sort and plan creation is usually 3-6 hours ($250-$500).

We just organized a basement for a family of four for $1,200, which had us putting up 10 sets of resin shelves in order to house all of their boxes of files, mementos, seasonal decor, books, school papers, family treasures, gift wrap and gifts, electronics, and hardware.

WholeHome™ organizing can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 – it’s very dependent on the size of your house and how much stuff you have.  The most common areas we do are closets, kitchen cabinets, usually a toy room of some sort, and an office.

We sort, help you identify things you no longer need, containerize, offer a plan for additional storage pieces where needed, and provide a list of suggested items to buy.  We can also source and purchase those products if you like, as well as moving your items out of their temporary containers and into specific bins and so on in order to personalize your space.

My suggestion is to be “in the solution, not thinking about the problem.”  Often working with a Professional Organizer can kick start that process.

If you have any other questions about working with a professional organizer, leave a comment or contact me directly for a personal consultation.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

So, you’ve just organized your home or office – congratulations!

Now that you have an organizing system in place, it will be much easier for you to stay organized going forward – but you need to stick to your system!

• You’ve got to book time with yourself, in your planner, at least once a month to take care of office filing and edit the piles that have collected.
• Embrace the system of using magazine holders to turn your horizontal piles into categorized vertical piles.
• Setting up appropriate categories allows you to maintain toy storage.
• And label, label, label
• Make sure you have the right storage pieces and use the appropriate containers.  When everything is sized appropriately your space will be much more efficient.
• Having separate ‘zones’ for different activities allows you to keep multi-use rooms organized.

Give yourself time.  You need two weeks to adapt to the changes you’ve made and allow them to have a lasting impact.

Many of our clients book a follow-up session after about 3 months to fine tune and have a look at any seasonal items that need to be re-shifted, as well as a yearly maintenance session to address the natural changes that happen – from kids moving into a different phase, job changes, renovation plans coming up, new family hobbies, and the like.

I’d love to hear from you.  Do you have a tip that you can share that has worked for you?

Image courtesy of zirconicusso / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Hi there! I’m Tina Blazer, Director of SPOT ON ORGANIZING.

I love helping busy families and professionals live the lives they truly want to lead by developing functional, maintainable spaces. I see it time and time again: transform your space, transform your life. I’m so jazzed to be part of that transformation! I am a tenacious problem solver, fiercely compassionate, and my sense of humour puts people at ease during what might otherwise be a stressful process.

You know how some people are computer nerds? Well I’m an organizing nerd! As a child my idea of “playing” was to sort out my mom’s kitchen cupboards or tidy her linen closets. So I turned my love of organizing into a fulfilling career, drawing from my 20 years’ experience of organizing and managing people and projects in the private business sector. When I’m not having fun helping my clients de-stress, or volunteering in my community, I’m spending time with my husband and beautiful teenage daughter.

Let me introduce some of the team…

I’m happy to have Laura Hayes as my Lead Assistant. Laura brings superb skills in de-cluttering and problem solving and has been an integral part of SPOT ON for over two years. You’ll be in good hands with her — she’s there to help you from beginning to end.  Laura also has extensive experience in renovation, and so we’re excited to be launching Spot On Handygirl Services, which will take care of anything from painting and drywall to tile repairs. When she doesn’t have a tool belt on, Laura is trying to keep up with her two active boys. From Project Manager to Handygirl, Laura can do it all!

Sarah Garcia brings to SPOT ON years of experience in project coordination and administrative support in industries such as media, landscaping, and not-for-profit. She is the mother of a rambunctious toddler and loves to cook delicious, healthy meals in her spare time. Sarah looks forward to working with you as the prime point of contact in your collaboration with the SPOT ON team.

Now that you’ve met some of the team, we hope that you’ll feel confident in knowing that from the time you first call us, we’ll be in your corner.  We’ll guide you from thinking about the “problem” to living the solution!

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

As I mentioned in my last blog post, one of the things I take joy in is making a contribution to my city. This extends beyond just the professional organizing community to the wider community of committed and caring women, many of whom are small business owners like myself. I attended the most recent meeting of a group called 100 Women Who Care. They describe themselves as “100+ Toronto women raising $40,000+ a year for local charities in four hours over the course of a year” and that’s exactly what they do — it’s really that simple!

The group meets for one hour, four times a year, together chooses a local charity or not-for-profit organization, and then each person writes a cheque for $100 to that organization. All of a sudden that’s a donation of thousands of dollars to a deserving cause! You don’t have to be wealthy to make a big difference; that’s the power of individuals coming together with the same goal in mind. Some previous fundraising efforts by the Women Who Care include $9,100 for Street Haven at the Crossroads, which provides shelter and support for women, and $7,350 for Sheena’s Place, a support centre for people affected by eating disorders.

If you’re reading this and thinking how much you’d love to be involved in something so special (and I’m sure you are!) why not join us at our next meeting? New members are always welcome. Our next gathering is coming up on Tuesday, February 26th at 7pm at the Rosedale United Church. Check out the website at www.100womenwhocaretoronto.com for more details on this wonderful group and how you can get involved. I hope to see you on the 26th!

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

One of the reasons I’m proud to be a member of the Toronto Chapter of Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) is our commitment to charitable contributions to our city.

Members of Professional Organizers in Canada Toronto Chapter

I recently had the privilege of taking part in a hands-on volunteer project to benefit the Toronto-based Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).  They are Canada’s largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as a leader in research, clinical care, education, policy development, and health promotion.

CAMH runs a clothing boutique called Suits Me Fine which provides clothes, shoes, accessories, and cosmetics free of charge to its clients. It has recently become so successful and busy that the volunteers working there were overwhelmed by the volume of donated goods. To help with this, we equipped their new storage room with the appropriate organizing tools and containers, and created a customized system to streamline the intake, sorting, and storage of donations.

I think everyone from the Toronto POC  would agree with me when I say that the experience we had at Suits Me Fine was extremely rewarding and fun! Even better, the feedback we’ve since received from CAMH volunteers confirms the positive impact we’ve had on this community of people. Jim Davey, CAMH Volunteer Coordinator, wrote to say that he “cannot thank [us] enough for the skills, energy, enthusiasm, care and compassion [we] brought with [us] yesterday.”

I always talk about how one of the greatest joys I take in being a professional organizer is transforming my clients’ lives. Getting the opportunity to do this on a bigger scale and reach a large number of people at once was a thrill, and I look forward to many more initiatives like this one!

I’d love to hear during this month of caring how you give back to your community.

Group photo courtesy of CAMH

Before and after photos courtesy of Laura Kay

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Last week, I explained why organizing your front door and kitchen areas are important, and what steps will have the biggest impact. You’ll also notice a huge difference when you organize your basement or other storage spot.

If your storage space is organized with ample shelving and/or you have room for stacking bins then you’re off to a good start.  By having a spot for your overflow (seasonal, archival, and items less often used), you are less likely to have clogged up closets and shelves in your main living areas.

If you can sort, edit and make space in the basement or storage room/closet, then it makes it easier to tackle other spaces in your house a little at a time.  You’ll know what you have down there and have an easily accessible place to put the overflow from the rest of the house.

Over the next few weeks, why don’t you work on organizing the room that will make the biggest difference to YOUR family? I’ll be back soon with some great tips to help you keep it organized!

Photo © DAVIPIX – Fotolia.com

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

I’m often asked which room in the house, if organized, will give you the most bang-for-your-buck (and time) – it’s a toss-up between the front door/kitchen and basement/storage spot.

The front door and kitchen are really the most important spaces, because they are the filter for the rest of the house.  We want to feel welcomed and at peace when we arrive home – not greeted with clutter!

With today’s busy families the front door is not the place for delicate pretty decorative items, nor should it be a place with piles of everyone’s stuff.

• Provide hooks for the kids to reach so they can put away their own coats and backpacks
• Have baskets which will allow them to toss their shoes, hats, etc. into.
• Make sure you have a spot for what is naturally in your hand when you walk in (keys, mail, etc.)
• In a rush when you’re arriving home?  Have a basket to catch items you’re bringing in that can be put away later.  At least it will be contained instead of clutter strewn all about.
• The same goes for items leaving the house: store returns, donations, return to a friend, take to school/office, etc.  Once you’ve made the decision that an item has to leave, don’t let it clog up your living space – get it to the front door!

And finally, ensure there is a ‘No Flyers/No Junk Mail’ sign on the front door.  Don’t let the junk mail in – you know it’s just going to pile up on the kitchen counter.

And, speaking of kitchens…

Create a simple family information spot that can catch the mail, school notices, homework, and appointment reminders. See our post on steps to creating a kitchen hub…

In my next post, I’ll share some tips on organizing your storage space. Add my blog to your RSS reader or subscribe by email to make sure you don’t miss it!

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

We at the Spot On team want to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your support over the past year. We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season. And may you have a stress and clutter free new year.

Warm regards,
Tina, Laura and Sarah

Image courtesy of Kovacs Orsi

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

Whenever I walk into a new client’s house they inevitably say “this must be the most cluttered house you’ve ever seen!” While every situation is unique, there are some very common challenges that busy households face.

1. Toy Storage

It’s very common for people to use whatever bins they can find or reuse – perhaps a basket a gift came in, or a bin that was bought for another purpose. Although repurposing is a good idea in principle, it leads to mismatched storage containers. Having containers that match isn’t just about looking good – it’s about being able to stack them nicely and use your space efficiently.

I highly recommend using clear bins. If you can’t see what’s inside, it’s hard to connect with what you’re storing (even if the bins are labelled). Clear bins are especially easy for children.

2. Kid’s Clothes

Many parents keep articles of clothing which have been outgrown for their next baby – again, this is very practical in principle, but much more so if they are stored in uniform containers with a bit of a plan in mind, not tucked away in a box one time and then stuffed in a plastic bag the next time. This is very common though when you have babies, as they grow out of sizes SO quickly.

Consider giving as a shower gift or new mom gift a series of stackable containers with pre-printed labels of various size ranges.

3. Small Closets

Older houses are notorious for having small closets, but there are better ways to maximize your space than just stuffing things in bags and random sized boxes.

Use the floor space and/or shelving space efficiently, and take advantage of the back of the doors.

Bonus Tip

Choosing furniture with built-in storage capabilities will go a long way towards helping you maintain an organized home.

I’d love to hear from you. Please share your comments if you find these tips helpful.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

In my last post, I talked about reducing household clutter by organizing things based on how often you use them. Today, let’s take this idea into your closet.

Let the space you go to EVERY DAY reflect the life you are living now.  The size you are now, the season it is now, the lifestyle you are leading now.  Get the business suits out if you’re at home with the kids; store away the smaller size dress – let it be a reward to go get it from the bin when you reach your target weight instead of it being a wagging finger you see every time you open the closet.

Again, consider when you use the item – especially if it is a small closet – if it is only monthly or seasonal, have it under the bed or the very top shelf.

I would say my favourite storage technique is using the back (and front) of the door!!!  That is like having another approx. 60” (5 feet!!) of storage space.  I like using clear over-the-door shoe storage for shoes sometimes, but perhaps for scarves, kids’ mitts and hats, art, office or school supplies – or why not inside the linen closet door for extra toiletries.  And use hooks, lots of them – for purses, scarves, belts, etc.

Was this post helpful to you? Please share it with your friends by clicking on one or more of the buttons below!

Be Sociable, Share!

•