Living an Organized Life

November 17, 2005

New Products

More New Affiliates

Organized-Living.com recently partnered with more affiliates to bring you even more choices for your organizing solution needs. There were a few that looked nice for the holidays or just anytime, and we wanted to share those offers, too.

Help support Organized-Living.com by making your purchases with us!

Organize Home

Making Your Home "Guest Ready"

In one of my columns "It's Not So Hard Being Ready For Guests," I wrote about creating a safe-haven in our home. There are so many things we can do to make people feel more comfortable in your home, and it's also important we feel the same.

This is the time of year when we can open up our homes and enjoy the company of friends. If you're embarrassed about the way your home looks and feels, maybe it's time to look around and see what you can do to make things better.

Let's make our home our castle, and enjoy the holidays!

November 15, 2005

Living the Lifestyle

From www.childfun.com

November 12, 2005

Season To-do's

'Tis the Season ...

...to be ready! And, the stores sure are ready -- they are stocking the shelves with things for us to buy for the holidays. Big reminders the holiday season is here whenever we enter a store, yes?

That gives us time, if we want to use it. So, my tips for this week are to:

1. Get holiday cards now
2. Make a gift list
3. Get out the decorations (after Thanksgiving is a great time)

For more tips to get started, check out my column article about getting ready for the holidays -- click here!

November 9, 2005

Holiday Storage

New Holiday
Storage Products

Organized-Living.com recently added lots and lots of new products, including holiday storage solutions.

Click on any of the items below to purchase, and also be sure to check out our complete collection of holiday storage items by clicking here:
Holiday Storage.

November 8, 2005

America Recycles Day

Recycling Stuff

How long have some of your belongings sat in storage or as unused space-hogs? It's time to start thinking about recycling those unused items to donation-provider's second-hand stores, or holding a garage sale.

November 14th marks the day -- America Recycles Day. This could also be a good time to bring out those holiday decorations and, what you don't use, sell or donate to others who are getting ready for the holiday season.

For more information about recycling, there's an Internet Consumer Recycling Guide at:
http://www.obviously.com/recycle

November 7, 2005

Economize Stuff

Stuff in Storage

According to the National Self-Storage Association, one in eleven percent of Americans rent storage space in a given year.

If stored stuff cannot fit into one's own home, what's the cost of holding on to it?

It is understandable that archived boxes that can't fit in a person's storage places might be necesasary to store elsewhere, because certain things must be kept (i.e., accounting and historical documents). But, what's all the other stuff people store away? Is the price they pay to keep things really worth it?

I suppose if a person were to inventory what they store away, then add up the cost of storage, one might determine the actual value, or worth of their belongings. It might be a rude awakening to discover that all those infant and toddler clothes and toys you saved in case you have another child, for example, have now cost you $2000 to hold on to.

Must be pretty valuable stuff.

Sometimes a person can't let go of things on their own. Sometimes they need a professional organizer or a friend or family member to help in the decision-making process. Whatever the case, decisions should be made to try and economize what we buy, what we keep, and what we store away.

You just might find yourself with some extra money without that monthly storage bill!

November 6, 2005

Functional Home Design

Building Efficiency Into the Home

The Denver Business Journal published and article, "Organized Homes Built to Last" focused to bring attention to building and designing a home that is not only aesthetic, but that implements organizational function of a home with the lifestyle of a family.

The concept was to create a design team that includes a builder, architect, designer, and professional organizer. An organizing consultant in the design team helps "improve your lifestyle, comfort zone and the systems for maintaining the environmentally friendly atmosphere that is appealing to you."

To read the story, click here.

HandyGirl Organizers, a Los Angeles based company and key sponsor of the Organized-Living.com website, combines both organization and design into their makeover projects. Their makeover team consists of a decorator, handyman, carpenter, electrician, and painter -- a sort of "one stop shop" for doing room makeovers and assisting with major remodeling and bulding construction.

This is something to consider when it becomes difficult to maintain your environment easily.

November 4, 2005

Impulse-buying Adds "Stuff"

Is a Sale a Savings?

Stores are smart -- they put all these interesting things and "oh, that might be useful" gadgets near the checkout lanes so we'll be tempted to get them, even if we don't need them. And, we wonder how we end up with all "this stuff!"

I admit, I've been guilt of impulse-buying. But, knowing this, I've made a big effort to curb my enthusiasm for those unplanned purchases that sit there having me ask myself if I could use another nail clipper or not.

Same goes with those items on sale. I just saw all these Christmas decorations on sale and I only went to the store to get blank tapes. Boy, was I tempted. I looked at them, I touched them, I stood back and watched them. I did everything except put them in my shopping cart. Reason was, after careful examination and asking myself a dozen questions about my need for more Christmas decorations, I decided the best thing was to pass up the store's wonderful offer.

I mean, how are we really "saving" if we hadn't planned on making the purchase in the first place? Didn't I "save" money by NOT buying something?

Yes, it took will-power. This decision-making is not for the weak. Yet, when I walked out of the store, I was proud of myself. And, that gave me a sense of accomplishment I hadn't planned on.