Step by step kitchen organizing - with photos

Define Before you start work, define categories of items that belong in the kitchen. In this case, we chose only food, food prep tools,  food serving tools and dishwashing supplies.

Remove Now, remove anything that doesn't belong in those categories from the room. Don't worry about where they should go - just throw them in a box and remove them from the space.

Odd items removed

Sort Categorize and sort all the remanding items. Our categories included:

- cookware (pots, pans, Pyrex, small electrics) - serve ware (dishes, cups/mugs, serving pieces) - food (dry goods, breakfast, snacks, coffee/tea, fresh produce, canned goods, spices/oils, baking, drinks - don't forget the refrigerator!) - plastic/paper/Tupperware - dishwashing supplies, paper towels and plastic wrap

Clean Take this opportunity to wipe down your empty cabinets and clean your refrigerator.

Sorted and cleaned

Reduce - trash expired or broken items - define an appropriate quantity of items for each category and choose to keep only what's used, loved and what fits into your space

Store Choose a practical place for everything and put everything in its place

After

Reducing large pots, pans, electrics and serving pieces eliminates the need for heavy, difficult stacks.

Store dishes and glasses near the sinks and dishwasher. Store cooking oils and spices near the stove. A coffee and tea station is great if you’re a daily consumer of hot beverages.

Maintain! Treat your new kitchen like a beautiful but fragile newborn baby - perfect but unable yet to support itself. - Put things away as soon as you're finished using them. - Take the extra 3 seconds to put them away properly, with care. - Keep non-kitchen items out of the kitchen. - Use your inventory to make a grocery list each time you shop. - Use the buddy system to stick to your list. - Put away groceries promptly and thoughtfully. - Support family members in your combined efforts to make a change.

The Power of Good Habits

If you're not familiar with Charles Duhigg's bestelling book, "The Power of Habit," let me be the first to recommend it. The below flowchart, which outlines precisely how to form a new habit, is a testament to the author's expertise.

The premise of the book is this: that positive habits are key to success and that habits aren't formed or changed by reliance on willpower, but rather by gradual, intentional neurological conditioning. In other words, positive habit-formation is difficult but crucial - and possible for anyone.

As an organizing coach, I work to instill new habits in clients' lives. Small, repeated gestures like making your bed, sorting your mail and putting things away as soon as you're finished using them, are difficult at first but eventually become automatic, like brushing your teeth in the morning. And they are critical to getting and staying organized!

What single new habit can you start forming today that would put you one step  closer to organized living? Hanging up your coat at the end of the day? Paying your bills at the same time every month? Laying out your clothes each night before bed? Choose one and follow Duhigg's path to success.

Power of Habit flowchart

Is your house haunted?

If there's an unwanted presence in your home - a bin of clothing from "bigger" days, perhaps, or a stack of books from an unfinished degree - it's time to set it free.

The logic we use to justify hanging on to remnants from our past that spark regret, grief or shame, are not logical. They're superstitious and masochistic. Keeping your "fat" clothes doesn't ward off weight gain any more than tossing them tempts it. Keeping textbooks from an unfinished degree or an incomplete craft project doesn't inspire you to finish what you started. Instead, it sparks discouraging, negative emotions and invades the space that should be dedicated to what you're working on NOW. If and when you choose to return to your project, you will prefer to start out with fresh supplies.

So for now, stop punishing yourself. Accept that you've made decisions in the past to get you where you are today. Accept where you are today - and who you are today - and outfit your home with the things that set you up for success in your CURRENT endeavors.

Two Kinds of People

The unread email inbox phenomenon happens when:

• we’re unsure how to prioritize, organize and archive our email
• we put off tasks (like emails requiring action) rather than handling them as they come
• we’re hanging on to every single email out of anxiety and/or nostalgia

Enjoy “Zero Inbox” peace of mind

• Immediately address or respond to action item emails
• Immediately delete junk or unnecessary emails
• Archive important emails as soon as they’ve been addressed
• Call Marin for an information management session! 202-423-3581

Shopping Detox: Six strategies for getting your spending under control

Flush your system

Go one full day without spending any money. It’s certainly a challenge, especially when you realize you’re low on gasoline or groceries, but it’s an exercise in thoughtful planning. It also requires you to be creative and resourceful - maybe you can walk instead of drive, or perhaps you have more in your pantry than you think you do. It’s a great feeling if you can meet the challenge and worth doing once a month or so.

Put away the plastic

After major expenses such as food, rent, utilities and transportation, a lot of what we spend each month is on relatively small items. A latte here, a sundress there, and we’re wondering at the end of the month where the extra dollars went. Practice cutting back on the incidentals by locking up your credit card. Take out in cash the exact amount you have budgeted for extras in one week and use it, rather than plastic, for that week. You might think twice about those small purchases when you see the cash start to dwindle.

Eliminate temptation

When you’re trying to eat healthfully, you probably don’t hang around the ice cream parlor. So if you need to cut back on spending, stop exposing yourself to the temptations that lie in wait for you in catalogues and shopping malls. In general, I feel secure that I have most everything I need. A single encounter with a fashion spread or a storefront display, though, can suddenly introduce a flood of wants and desires.

Our world is chock full of advertising, some of it rather subversive. To overcome your vulnerability to the marketers, stop catalogue delivery, leave the room during television commercials, and take a break from social media, where we tend to compare ourselves with others. Avoid stores if possible and do your shopping with a list.

Take a beat

So you went in armed with your shopping list and the smallest possible shopping bag, but at some point you grabbed a shopping cart and started loading it with great stuff. Fabulous stuff. Stuff that is on sale! Before you hit the checkout counter, take a moment to think. Then walk away from the cart and out of the store.

Removed from the situation, you might feel more clear-headed and less caught up in the thrill of the hunt. If you’re still unsure, put your items on hold for a day or two. Often, things we think we really want become less attractive once the moment has passed.

Is it too late? Have you already made your purchase? Stash your items – with the receipt – for a few days. You might decide you’d rather have the money back than whatever’s in the bag. You might, possibly, have even forgotten what’s in the bag. If this is the case, don’t look now. Go straight to the return desk.

Un-sell yourself on the sale

Speaking of stuff that is on sale…if you don’t need it, it’s still too expensive. As my grandfather told my mother, who frequently came home with clothing that she bought on sale with his credit card, “You’re saving me so much, you’re breaking me!” Put blinders on to coupons, promotions and clearance stickers, and stick to your list.

Enjoy the show

At some point, you’ll have to re-enter the consumer world. Whether you’re on vacation or enjoying an outing with friends, beautiful things will tantalize you. Try thinking of the world as a living museum. Take in the paintings without taking them home. Smell the flowers without uprooting them. In other words, enjoy the beauty of nature and the creativity of mankind without succumbing to the desire to possess them. It’s impossible to own all the beauty in the world so experience it all but buy only a tiny fraction.

Post-holiday toy cleanse

Five days after Christmas, does your living room still look like a disaster area? Is the playroom bursting at the seams, unable to absorb the holiday's new loot? This New Year's weekend is the perfect time to tackle toys with the kids. 

Start 2015 by donating the old to make room for the new. Work with your kids to donate anything that they've outgrown. Help them sort the special or beloved toys from the rest. Provide guidance but respect their choices. They might even decide that some of the new gifts are good candidates for donation.

Kids of all ages will benefit: 

• Small children practice sorting items into categories.
• Young children enjoy their first experience of charity.
• Kids of all ages take responsibility for their space and belongings, and learn valuable organizing skills.

Remember, less is more when it comes to toys.   

Get organized to save money

The tremendous quality-of-life benefits of organized living should be enough to convince you to make a change. But if that's not enough to get you de-cluttering, consider the several ways in which being organized saves you money!

• Sell unused items. Furniture, clothing, jewelry, small appliances and electronics are just some of the extraneous items you can sell for cash online or in a yard sale. Take a hard look at what you really use in your home and sell what you can. Or save your energy and donate these items for a tax write-off.

• Curb unnecessary spending. Once you've gone through the purging process, you'll have a much more accurate mental inventory of your belongings. You won't find yourself buying things you already have or buying things you haven't ended up using in the past. 

• Put cash, gift cards and coupons to use. I should take a commission on the loose cash and gift cards my clients find during the organizing process! Create a system for storing and tracking your bonuses and discounts so you're sure to derive their full value.

• Get your finances in order. The first step toward financial security is financial organization. Take inventory of your finances, and create tracking and budgeting systems.

"I want to de-clutter but I can't let go…"

Lasting change starts within.

Ask yourself:

– How would my space and my life be different if I minimized? What would I lose ...and what would I gain?

– For individual items, be brutally honest with yourself about why you’re reluctant to let go. What are you afraid of? How can you talk yourself through those fears with logic?

Start small. Part with just one single object today. Enjoy the lightness of owning less and the satisfaction of donating useful items to those in need. You’ll see it’s not as hard as you think. Baby steps. It’ll get easier as you go.

Get help. You don’t have to do it alone. The right Organized Living Coach can shepherd you through the process of developing healthier, more rewarding attitudes toward objects.

What should I do with all my kids' "artwork?"

Less clutter is the least of the benefits to keeping only a small portion of your kids' "creations." Consider these benefits to your child's creative and psychological growth.

1) Kids who get the message that everything they make is wonderful are less inspired to create new and different things. Stop saving every last scribble and encourage your child to keep experimenting.

2) Kids who learn to distinguish between passing fancies and truly special things are more likely to mature into financially responsible shoppers and less likely to need an Organized Living Coach like me to help them wade through their clutter. Engage your young children in a conversation about which of their objects is most special - and why.

3) We are a culture overly attached to documenting and commemorating our past - at the expense of making time and space for NOW. Be an example to your kids by making room for new creations.

Kids and Stuff: holiday gift prep continues

I promised (warned?) you that there'd be more about kids and stuff before the holiday season was through…and here it is! In preparation for the holiday buy-a-thon, I'm arming you with everything I can find against buying or accepting too many things for your kids.

In My Kids Have Too Much Stuff, Sharon Holbrook writes for The Washington Post, "I might get a sticker at the doctor’s office, just like my children still do, but I didn’t get a strip of eight stickers from Trader Joe’s. One is more fun than eight. One gets stuck proudly on a shirt. A strip of eight winds up in a discarded heap on the floor of my car."

"One is more fun than eight." Yes! Less is truly more. So when it comes to holiday gifts, give one special item instead of ten. Ask family members to go in together on one or two gifts, rather than each person adding to your child's pile of loot.

A Thanksgiving Wish

This week, as always, I am thankful for my clients, who welcome me into their homes and lives, and make it possible for me to live my passion.

My wish for them and for all of my fellow Americans this week is twofold. May we find joy in our celebrations by honoring the inherent blessings in our lives. And may we carry that focus throughout the onslaught of Black Friday and the torrent of consumption that ensues.

The pressure to gather "stuff" reaches a fever pitch at this time of year. I admonish us all to resist the siren call. Give thanks to those you love by giving gifts of experiences this year. It's scientifically proven to make us happier (Buy Experiences, Not Things - James Hamblin, The Atlantic, Oct. 2014). In the coming weeks, I'll offer several experiential gift ideas, including non-toy gifts for kids. Now is a great time to start thinking about what experiences your loved ones will cherish.

Get started with your Thanksgiving festivities.  The food and fine linens are props, there to heighten the experience - but togetherness is at the heart of the holiday. Be present in these moments and they'll last forever.

Honor Thy Stuff

Thanks to an October 22nd article in The New York Times, I have been made familiar with Japanese de-cluttering superstar Marie Kondo and her methods. Her book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” is a best seller in Japan.

"Tidying is a dialogue with oneself," according to Kondo. Amen, sister! Making appropriate decisions about one's belongings requires more than just a trash bag. It involves a thoughtful definition of one's values and goals, and an honest evaluation of how belongings support or detract from them.

Belongings must “spark joy,” Kondo insists. True that! It's easy these days to loosen our definition of the word, "joy," but you're shorting yourself if you welcome anything into your world that doesn't kindle satisfaction and inspire love.

"Thank your stuff, it’s been working hard for you," says Kondo. “When we take our clothes in our hands and fold them neatly,” she writes, “we are, I believe, transmitting energy, which has a positive effect on our clothes.” Here's where Kondo's eastern perspective introduces a fascinating approach. She anthropomorphizes items, encouraging us to treat our belongings with respect, taking care when handling them, putting them away - and even when discarding them.

I believe that if we treated our stuff with more respect, we'd also recognize when it no longer sparked joy, and we'd be better prepared to simply set it free.

Read The New York Times article on Marie Kondo, "Kissing Your Socks Goodbye" by Penelope Green

Why I no longer call myself a "professional organizer"

I am very proud of the work I do to help people eliminate clutter from their spaces and lives. With my guidance my clients are better equipped to let go of the things that don't serve them and to redirect precious resources (time, money and energy) into the things that are truly important to them. By investing in health and self-care, family and relationships, career and personal growth, we can all improve our quality of life. Far beyond delivering clients immaculate homes, this is my true purpose.

Most professional organizers share these values and goals. Unfortunately, the organizing industry has been somewhat co-opted by profiteering companies looking to sell us more stuff. Rather than helping us to let go of the clutter, these forces encourage us to shuffle it around - or worse, spend time and money creating neat little storage solutions for it.

In order to distinguish myself from this agenda, I am now referring to myself as a Personal Organizing Coach. 

The purpose of organized living is to enjoy life to the fullest - by being good stewards of our resources and by valuing experiences over things. As an Organized Living Coach, I aim to help my clients achieve sustainable, long-term habits that result in a life lived in line with their individual priorities and value.

Your Kids Are Amazing

My experience working with children of all ages has shown me that kids are tremendously adaptable, capable of change and willing to introduce order into their lives. Much, much more so than adults.

I've yet to encounter a young client who is more reluctant than his/her parents to let go of clutter, despite Mom and Dad's warnings. Usually it's parents' unconscious influence causing excessive object desire and attachment in kids. Sometimes it's overindulgence - allowing too much stuff into kids' lives. Often it's leading by poor example, regularly making unnecessary purchases for oneself and holding on to one's own clutter. Either way, kids internalize the message that objects are inherently valuable.

The result is more detrimental than a messy house. It's more stress for parents and kids, and conflict between the two. It's less time for play and diminished enjoyment of play. Long-term, it's the problems of the parents perpetuated in the lives of the children, from disorganization and debt, to the reduced quality of life that comes from overvaluing " things."

Often it's impossible for parents to incite improved organizational behavior in their own kids. Like adults, kids encounter all kinds of conflicts and resentments if they sense they're being dictated to. As an objective outsider, I'm in a better position than parents to solicit kids' cooperation. I treat children with the same respect with which I treat their parents, serving as their partner in pursuit of customized solutions to increase their peace and productivity. As with my adult clients, my kids lead the decision-making process, with my guiding support. As always, I focus on what's to be gained from organized living. Most kids are more than happy to sacrifice some old toys for more free time, less nagging from Mom and Dad and some quality family time.

The most effective way for parents to encourage improved organizing behavior in their kids is to lead by example. Allow your kids to observe you cooperating with your professional organizer, making the tough decisions. When it's their turn to purge, they'll be a lot more likely to buy in to the plan.

And step aside when it's their turn. Kids can sense when their parents have an opinion about what to keep and let go. Respect their choices and they'll be more motivated to take responsibility for their space and the belongings within it. Believe me, they want to.

Often it's parents' desire to "treat" their kids that lands another toy in the shopping cart. Kids won't argue with any suggestion to buy something. Don't tempt them! It's their job to push you toward indulging them. Push back. Believe me, they want you to.

A (Dressing) Room of One's Own

For apartment dwellers making the best of a single, cramped closet, the very idea of a extra space is but a mere fantasy. But for families living in large suburban homes, it's often a given. If you're lucky enough to have a spare, spare room or an empty sitting area, you might consider moving out of the shared master closet and creating a luxurious dressing room of your own.

In the client home below, we handed over the entire walk-in closet to Mr. and transformed this small guest room into a gorgeous space for Mrs. We brought down a desk and chest from the attic, purchased some easy-to-install Closet Maid products and hung jewelry pegs on the wall. Voila!

Vanity station for easy access to makeup and jewelry…with good lighting and a large mirror! Plenty of hanging space – long hang and double hang.

Shelving for folded items and bins. Plenty of slots for shoes and handbags.

Since my own home is 100 years old, I let my husband take over the master closet and used the adjacent sunroom as a dressing room - slash - sitting area. I enjoy having my own space where everything is visibly displayed and easily accessed. I also love the natural light coming through the windows and the music playing on the stereo in my bookshelves.

Hanging bags are my favorite shoe storage option. Obligatory shelving for jeans and handbags. And I still have space left over for a sitting area…I’m happy in my closet!

STOP: Scan and Deliver

So you've gone through the tedious but rewarding process of organizing your home. You've eliminated the clutter, chosen an appropriate place for everything and, for the moment, everything is in its place. Now, how to keep it that way?

If you're used to a messy house, you're probably accustomed to setting things down without much awareness. Your handbag rests where you dropped it in the foyer. Today's shoes are strewn in the garage and the water glass you carried from the kitchen to the den remains there long after you've departed. If you're going to maintain the order you've worked so hard to create, it's time to be more thoughtful about what you're doing with your belongings.

"STOP: scan and deliver" is a technique I use to ensure that each space in the home is properly organized. Each time you exit a room, take a moment to turn around and scan each area, each surface of the space for items that don't belong. Then deliver those items to their proper places.

To get started, consider printing out this sign and pasting it on the back of each door in your house. (Or buy the sticker). Soon you won't need the sign to remember to check your space before you leave it.

Do You - clearing emotional clutter

The cliche admonition to "be yourself" has found new life in current popular culture as the updated anthem: Do You. Although it feels like a motto for the younger crowd - its foremost proponents being the likes of Beyonce and Kanye West - I'd like to go on the record as a big fan of the life approach, if not of the phrase itself.

According to Urban Dictionary, "Doing you is when you lose all regard for other people's opinions and are finally at peace with yourself." In other words, prioritize yourself and live according to your values.

Living in any other way means allowing emotional clutter to take over. So:

• Don't let guilt, fear, shame or other negative emotions rule your life. Or your closet! Let go of the stuff you don't want and of the guilt you feel in doing so.

• You owe it to yourself to make the best possible decisions, whether it's choosing a career path or choosing what to invite into your space versus what to trash, donate or simply say "no" to.

• And don't apologize to anyone for honoring your own needs and preferences. The social pressure to be perfect, with perfection defined narrowly by influencers such as retailers and media, is greater than ever. Don't succumb to it. Just do you.

Team Up For Success

If you're the type that finds strength in numbers - you exercise more consistently with a gym buddy or cook better with company - then find a partner in your organizing project.

When it comes to working or working out, we're not shy about recruiting help. Why, then, do we not band together to tackle the challenges of running a household? There's no shame in teaming up with a friend or family member - or professional organizer if you need to call in the big guns - to de-clutter, sort and file.

Have trouble focusing when it's time to pay bills? Invite a friend for tea and write out your checks together. Can't seem to get yourself in the car to run those errands you've been putting off? Run them with a friend and it's a lot less intimidating. In fact, you might just enjoy it!

Save time: do LESS

In her August 2014 article "The Best Productivity Trick of All: Do Less," Alex Cavoulacos, Founder of career advice website The Muse, encourages us to be more productive at work by crossing unnecessary items off of our to-do lists. Her advice, in summary, is to:  Say no, delegate, eliminate the unnecessary, reassess the need for meetings, their format and length, and manage email more effectively.

Read Alex's article, which I discovered on WeWork Magazine, which features stories of entrepreneurs and first-hand resources that make your business more successful.

Similarly, there are several ways in which we can be more productive - and happier - at home by reevaluating the tasks we undertake and how we approach them. In fact, some of Alex's advice can be directly applied:

1. Say no  Saying no is just as hard for many of us in our personal lives as it is professionally - and it's at least as important to do so at home as it is at the office. Are you saying no to your kids enough? Doing so is good for your sanity and is a lesson in patience, discipline and moderation of your children.

Social "obligations," including dinner parties, babysitting and the PTA, are not mandatory.  They're choices. Make them wisely and selectively.

2. Delegate  There's no shame in delegating tasks to household members, including spouses and kids, as well as roommates or neighbors, or to hiring a professional to lighten your load.

3. Eliminate the unnecessary  Attending to extraneous tasks at work can reduce productivity but doing so at home can reduce happiness. By cutting the fat from our personal to-do list, we free up time and energy for the things that are most important to us, including family time, friendships, health and personal growth.

In my experience as a professional  organizer, there are two common causes of squandered time. The first is perfectionism. Women, in particular, are susceptible to societal messages that tell us we have to be super-people. If you're ironing your sheets because your neighbor does or home-making baby food because a magazine suggested that you do, consider letting these things go. Decide what's truly valuable in your life and eliminate the tasks that "others" are pressuring you to perform.

The second common cause of unnecessary to-do items is avoidance. Might you be artificially adding things to your list to avoid facing the really tough tasks? Instead of stocking up on cleaning supplies at the bulk store, sit down and start writing that book. Rather than reorganizing your shed this weekend, join your family for an outing. Dreading your first trip to the gym? Might as well face it now. It'll still be waiting for you after a wasted afternoon of unnecessary tasks. And if you are going to procrastinate, at least enjoy a good nap rather than wasting time on a made-up task.

The 1-Bin method: a fast-results approach to household organizing

By now we all know the organizing process. Get out three bins - one for trash, one for donate, one for keep, and start making decisions … right?

Well, maybe. This is a tried and true de-cluttering method but I have a slight variation to offer, which is particularly suitable for those with a major organizing project at hand. It's also great for people who have a hard time making decisions or who get stuck and quit before the task is complete.

Here it is...

1. Get out 1 bin*. Walk through your house and fill the bin with everything that doesn't belong. That includes trash and donation items, as well as items that are simply in the wrong place. Clothing in the garage? Office supplies in the bedroom? Books in the bathroom? Fill the bin and stash it somewhere out of sight.
2. Once you've removed all that clutter, you're left with a pretty organized home. Enjoy it! Revel in the peace and order you have created.
3. As you have time and energy, tackle that bin. First pull out trash and recycling items and discard them. Then decide what you absolutely need to keep and put it away in its proper place.
4. What you're left with at the end is questionable stuff. For each item, ask yourself, do I want to re-clutter up my nice, neat house with this thing or can I add it to the donation pile?

Benefits of the 1-Bin method:

• Efficiency. This method allows you to work quickly, without getting hung up on every decision.

• Results. You see immediate results, which allows you to start enjoying your progress.

• Maintenance. Once you have great results, you're less likely to re-clutter your household and more likely to just say goodbye to the stuff in the bin.

*Disclaimer: The 1-Bin method will most likely require the employ of more than 1 bin. The idea is that you don't categorize bin items until AFTER you get results.