clutter control » XOXOrganizing

How to Find What You’re Looking for… in 10 Seconds

August 31, 2015 by XOXOblog in Self Organization, Taking Care of YOU, Tips

The number one client complaint is, “I can’t always find what I’m looking for.”

I have a suggestion on how to find anything and everything in 10 seconds (or less)!

STEP 1: Before you buy something and bring it home, think of where it will live once you get it there. A good way to find a place for everything is to think of other like-items you might have that are already stored in your home. For example, you might want to store your extra shampoos and conditioners with loofas and extra soaps.

STEP 2: When you buy the item and bring it into your home, put it away immediately. Don’t let things pile up or you’ll be overwhelmed later.

STEP 3: Be sure you have a mental inventory of your cabinets, drawers and closets by actively making it a priority to open doors and drawers so you always know what you have. This will keep you from buying multiples of things.

[ TIP ] 3 Tips for Organizing Your Craft Closet

August 17, 2015 by XOXOblog in Closets, General Organizing, Tips

1. Keep school supplies separate from craft supplies.

It’s better to keep these two categories separate. Your kids should be able to go into the school-supply cabinet and get what they need without being distracted by “cool” things they find.

2. Put supplies away between projects.

With all the embellishments, ribbons, buttons and paper that are in our craft areas, it’s better to put as much away at the end of the day as possible. If you’re working with specific tools and craft supplies, there’s no harm in keeping a few things out, but try to keep things as tidy as possible so you don’t have a bigger mess the next day. Use containers to store the small pieces for each project you have out.

3. Encourage your children to help clean up after crafting time.

Get the kids involved so they’ll learn responsibility and organizing skills. Supervise them the first few times until you’re confident they can do it themselves. Labeling your drawers/containers could come in handy when the kids are responsible for putting away crafts.

A fun incentive to get the kids motivated to organize and clean up is our XOXO Daddy Dollars and XOXO Mommy Money. Use with our XOXO Chore Chart.

Before and After: Storage Closet

August 10, 2015 by XOXOblog in General Organizing, Self Organization, Testimonials

BA Storage Closet

Sometimes organizing a space in your home seems overwhelming because you might not have the right tools to get organized. I want to share this story on how sometimes you need someone to help you organize and sometimes you can do it yourself- as long as you have the right tools.

A client hired me to organize her home. We organized until our time was up for the day, but we hadn’t even started on her storage closet. Instead of making another appointment, I gave her the task of organizing her storage closet. I told her to buy a shelf and what my vision was and she did it herself and did an A+ job!

If you notice- the BEFORE picture looks a little overwhelming. However, after she had the tools she needed, everything came together perfectly! Remember, not everything has to have the perfect color bin in order to be functional. Sometimes you don’t need to spend extra money on bins, you can just use what you have.

Here’s the Yelp review she wrote for me a few months later…

Sara with XOXO Organizing is AMAZING! She not only helped me organize my closet — but my life too! She was such a blast to work with, it didn’t feel like we were working, just friends hanging out and getting organized! I hired Sara about 3 months ago, and my life and closet have been so much better ever since! She gave me tips and taught me things as we went along, and I now have such an easier time staying organized. If you need help getting your house (or life, really!) in order, call Sara ASAP — I am so thankful that I did, best money I have spent in a LONG time….worth every penny! Thanks, Sara!

– Natalie Y., Irvine, CA

How to Get Rid of Clutter Forever

July 20, 2015 by XOXOblog in General Organizing, Taking Care of YOU

Where does clutter come from and why doesn’t it go away?

If you ask me, clutter happens when you can’t/don’t have time to decide where to keep an item in your home. So… you set it down somewhere-TEMPORARILY. Then, you come across something else you’re not sure about and so you set that down somewhere-TEMPORARILY. Then, you come across something else you’re not sure about…you get the picture.

To be a clutter killer (hahaha) you must find a PERMANENT place for everything in your home. Trust me when I say, “finding a place for each and every item is not an easy task to take on alone!” I think it’s because you’re emotionally attached to almost everything in your home. Sometimes organizing can be beneficial- and dare I say more fun– when you have a friend organizing with you. It’s more fun to organize with someone else. You get to brainstorm and laugh about certain things-together. It certainly helps the time go by faster.

If you find yourself in a pattern of assigning TEMPORARY storage solutions to items, but don’t have a friend to help you organize-XOXO can help! We’ll work together to make each room in your home functional and clutter free in no time! I love organizing and if you don’t share that sentiment, then we already make a great team! xo

[ TIP ] Save on Space

April 20, 2015 by XOXOblog in Garage, General Organizing, Tips

[ TIP ]: The price of anything is the amount of space you exchange for it.

XOXO says: If you have limited storage space, go ahead and spend the extra $1.50 on a 4-pack of paper towels each month rather than buying a 6-month supply in bulk. Remember, each square inch of your home is valuable real estate so use it wisely. Who says you need to fill every shelf or closet to the brim? Give yourself some room to breath so you have room to grow into your space. It will be worth it in the end. I promise.