Finally – Spring has started and the organizing begins…

This year in the States has been a particularly brutal winter. Even the spring  has had a hard time coming out!

One thing that everyone can agree upon is spring is a great time to get out and explore, shed the extra weight and the extra items that we don’t need or want.

To get started on organizing, just remember that organizing is a tool that will help   streamline your life . You don’t need to spend hours lining up food in cabinets or color coding your clothing  but you do need it to make easy and accessible for you.

Basically, if you are learning a new hobby, put all the items together in one area of your home, office or apartment so you don’t have to collect all the items all over your home every time you head to your class. The more you are organized the less likely you will blow off a class because you don’t have all the items you need. Keep related items together so it is easy to just go!

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Superstorm Sandy Resources

As a native New Yorker, I am trying to comprehend how much devastation and destruction has affected our community. Some friends and family were unscathed while others are completely shattered after this horrific storm.

I don’t know how many of you were affected by the storm but I only lost power for a week, hardly anything compared to the countless stories of people who are still in need of shelter. If you are one of the many people who have the luxury of a warm place to stay and you would like to help, I would  to share some resources with you. Graybeards , www.graybeards.com, which  donates their resources to the communities of Rockaway, Breezy Point, Roxbury & Broad Channel. Another site that gives a comprehensive listing of volunteering opportunities and places to donate is http://www.nycservice.org/#s.

As we approach this month by living the new normal of the aftermath of Sandy let’s reach out to those less fortunate and show them a glimmer of hope.

Summer Scorcher – How to Stay Cool & Organized

Coney Island -1945

When it is scorching hot out everyone looks for some relief from the heat. Whether your heading to Coney Island or Shelter Island being organized can get you out the door  -quickly.

Put items that you are using for the summer months together. You can get a shoe box, a plastic box or a fancy box to put all the goods to go when your running out the door. Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, water bottle, etc. Whatever your go items are make it easy so you can get to your destination quicker so you can relax and enjoy the view.

Fall is here – Being organized can give you fun filled days

Getting organized for any season will set the tone for the season and will give structure and flexibility to your day. Fall is a time of renewal, exciting new experiences and a time to explore the outdoors. Whether you are organizing time, space or energy always think what will benefit You. Make it simple and easy. For example, if you want to find more time in your day, plug in all the items that you need to do and then plug in the items you’d like to do. Think long and hard how you could combine tasks. For instance, you could be paying bills online and doing the laundry. You have spurts of time that you don’t have to be at the washing machine/dryer while you do another task. Ask for help, think small, fun tasks for kids. Recently a client needed to shred her mail and we decided that her son could help with this task and use the shredded paper as a  ”bunny bed’ for their pet rabbit.

Have fun organizing for the season. Think small, quick fun ideas to make your life easier. Happy Fall!

 

25 Ways to Go Green in NYC and beyond…

Thanks to TimeOut NY for putting together a comprehensive way to start going green!                            

                        25 ways to go green in New York City

Quick and easy ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.

 1. Start at home 

Even the busiest New Yorker can aid the environment by following your building manager’s recycling guidelines. Typically, this is as easy as separating out your bottles, cans, paper, cardboard and plastic from the rest of your garbage and disposing of it on the appointed days. Visit the Department of Sanitation’s website (nyc.gov/wasteless) for the basics—and tips on how you can do even more.

2. Don’t throw away your computer
Your old desktop may take an hour to start up and be impossible to shut down, but as much as you might be tempted to toss it out the window, don’t. The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that 25,000 pounds of electronics are put into landfills and/or incinerated each year in New York City alone. Trash that dinosaur the right way by finding an appropriate collection event: Visit nyc.gov/wasteless for a list of upcoming recycling opportunities near you.

3. Upgrade—and get paid for—your old electronics
Or you can trade in your old computer—plus your cell phone and other Apple devices—at electronics superstore Tekserve (119 W 23rd St between Sixth and Seventh Aves; 212-929-3645, tekserve.com) for credit toward a new purchase. If your computer, cell phone, iPod or iPad is in working condition, Tekserve will give you a gift card for its value. Get your unwanted items assessed during store hours (Mon–Fri 9am–8pm, Sat 10am–6pm, Sun noon–6pm) or go online to get an estimate before you arrive.

4. Donate used clothes
You may have outgrown your purple phase, but that doesn’t mean someone else won’t love your once-treasured violet culottes. The average New Yorker discards more than 45 pounds of clothing, shoes and other textiles (like sheets and towels) each year, which accounts for approximately 3 percent of the city’s residential waste stream. Redirect your outgrown clothing, shoes, accessories and linens by going to nyc.gov/refashionyc (click on “donate”) or visit nyc.gov/stuffexchange to find out more about donating your gently used apparel.

5. Hand over your lightbulbs
You may think you’re doing your part by purchasing an energy-saving lightbulb, but how you dispose of the mercury-filled fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs has an even greater impact on the environment. Visit recycleabulb.com for a list of locations where you can drop off your unbroken CFLs at no cost, including many Home Depot stores.

6. Channel your eco-Lady Gaga
On June 25, fashion designer Kelly Horrigan (kellyhorrigan.com) will bring her upcycled fashion sense to Brooklyn’s 3rd Ward (195 Morgan Ave between Meadow and Stagg Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-715-4961, 3rdward.com. June 25, 11am–2pm; members $50, nonmembers $65, plus $15 materials fee) for a class in “Avant-Garde Upcycled Accessories.” Using geometric shapes as inspiration, students will turn would-be junk into haute accoutrements, all of them created from at least 90 percent reused material.

7. Donate to the New York Public Library
When you’ve finally accepted that you’re never going to read that copy of Moby Dick, consider giving it to the The New York Public Library, which welcomes books, DVDs, CDs and VHS tapes in good condition. The Mid-Manhattan Library is the preferred site for donations (455 Fifth Ave at 40th St; 212-340-0863, nypl.org), but you can contact your local branch to inquire about donating there (visit nypl.org or call 917-ASK-NYPL). For a citywide list of possible donation locations, go to nyc.gov/stuffexchange.

8. Host (or attend) an online stoop sale
Whether you’re cleaning out your closet or your pantry, you can put anything you don’t want up for grabs—or nab anything from a stick of butter to a queen-size futon—on freecycle.org. It’s free to join; create an account to list your unwanted goods or browse the message boards for items you’re interested in.

9. Learn the value of a great wardrobe
Lauded everywhere from TreeHugger.com to The Nate Berkus Show, Buffalo Exchange(multiple locations, visit buffaloexchange.com) is a recycled-clothing shop featuring the latest trends—much of it costing about $15. Your accepted items will earn you cash on the spot or credits toward a trade for more clothing. First-time sellers should call the store to learn what items are currently in demand.

10. Check out a swap meet
On the last Sunday of every month, the Judson Memorial Church (55 Washington Square South between Sullivan and Thompson Sts, reallyreallyfree.org; 3–7pm) hosts the Really Really Free Market, which is exactly what it sounds like. You don’t need money—or anything to trade—to score everything from books and clothing to haircuts and admission to educational workshops.

Click here to learn more!

Parson’s Festival: Roundtable w/ Tim Gunn & Scott Schuman

What is great about living in New York City is that you can see, speak and learn from people you are interested in or admire.

Last week I had an opportunity to see Tim Gunn and Scott Schuman speak about fashion and  give a glimpse of reality in the fashion world. Scott Schuman writes a blog called ”The Sartorialsits” he photographs real people on the streets of New York, Paris and Milan that have great style. His point of view on fashion is ”documenting time.”

Tim Gunn is no stranger to Parson The New School of Design, he worked there for almost 24 years. He is best known to the public  for his role on ”Project Runway” as a mentor to the designers. Tim Gunn when he took this position on the show wanted to ”demystify the fashion industry.”

The moderator asked pointed questions to both Tim and Scott  they  were funny, real and down to earth in their answers. It was refreshing to see this type of realistic view of the fashion world. I worked over 15 years in high end fashion retail, you definitely see the good the bad and the ugly.

Both Tim and Scott spoke about the reality of fashion. Tim had said at one point ” I don’t care about what your wearing but take responsibility for it.”

I have transferred my organizing skills from retail fashion to a professional organizing company today. Both men use a process of working that needs to be organized, streamlined and simple. We didn’t speak about an organizing process in developing a line or thought process but we all do it. Some creative people often think that physical  organization will make them less creative instead of giving them more time to pursue their creativity. It is also thought that ”multitasking” is more efficient with time rather than working on one project at a time. Actually according to a study by the Journal of Experimental Psychology ” People who multitask are actual less efficient than those who focus on one project at a time.”

So remember the next time you are taking on a project, making a shirt, making jewelry, cleaning out your closet[ you can create a new look] . Sit down and take a few minutes to make a plan and organize your thoughts so you can complete your project, enjoy your creation and show it off to the world!

Housing Works- Design on a Dime Event in NYC

Housing Works celebrated their 7th Annual Design on a Dime event last week and  I was there volunteering for this fun event.  I always love taking pictures of the rooms that the interior designers put together. It always gives me new inspiration for items that are in my home or in my clients. As a green organizing consultant I am always thinking of how to repurpose items and how to make it fun, as well. I  am keeping this short and sweet to you can enjoy this visual delight! If you want more info. about this event, please check out www.housingworks.com