Answering All Your Organizing Needs Since 2001
Help is a phone call away 810-348-1772

De-clutter your home, de-clutter your life

Posted: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 9:05 am

Tri-County Times - tctimes.com

by Sally Rummel

Fall is popular time for families to get organized for new school year, upcoming holidays. The upcoming school year brings not only football games and fun, but also more paperwork and added clutter for already busy households.

 

That’s why the fall months are second only to January in setting goals to get more organized, according to Betty Huotari, of Logical Placement, LLC in Fenton. “It’s also a time when many organizational products are on sale.”

 

Huotari says that families tend to be more disorganized now than ever before, because of busier schedules, more junk mail coming into the household and social media that takes up everyone’s time. “Families who live in a disorganized household tend to lack focus, clarity and good decision-making skills,” said Huotari.

 

It’s also hard on children, who need an uncluttered place to do homework, organize their own clothes, toys, etc. In general, keeping a less cluttered household is all about making daily decisions, explained Huotari.

 

“You have to decide what to do with each piece of paper that comes into your house,” she said. “Today, about 80 percent of our mail is junk mail, and you have to do something with it. I suggest that you use a shallow tray, not a deep basket, for the day’s mail, so everyone knows where it goes, and is gone through regularly.”

 

Also, make shopping decisions mindfully. Does what you’re buying complement what you already have, or does it solve a problem? If not, then you’re likely buying things on impulse. “These extra items are cluttering up your closets and your life,” said Huotari.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this “before” photo...

 

In this “before” photo of a client’s basement, Betty Huotari of Logical Placement, LLC shows the disorganization of seasonal décor that took her client hours to maneuver through at the change of each season.

It all comes down to creating new habits to replace the old ones, she added.

 

Back to school organizational tips:

 

• Set up a homework area for your child, a designated spot with few distractions. “The kitchen table is fine, as it is often well supervised by mom or dad,” said Huotari. “Set a timer for just 15 minutes and make it a game. See what your child can get done in that small window of time, while you tackle a drawer or some other small organizational project.”
  
  
•  Create a Backpack Drop Zone, where kids can drop off their backpacks after school and know it will be ready and waiting for them the next morning.
  
  
•  Fill individual school supply cases with pencils, pens, markers, glue sticks, scissors, etc. for each child, labeled with their name. Keep these in a drawer so that every child has access to their own supplies at home. “They can come home from school, grab a snack, then start right in on their homework, having all their supplies ready,” said Huotari.

 

Basements and garages:

 

Even if you don’t have school-aged children at home, you can still take advantage of this time of year to organize your living spaces, including your basement and garage.

 

“Large spaces like these tend to collect a lot of ‘stuff,’” said Huotari. “They allow us to procrastinate on our goal to get organized, because we always say we’ll get to it ‘one day.’”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that everything is in storage bins and labeled on shelves, it takes minutes, not hours, to find things she’s looking for.

She has maintained her basement’s organization for four years, according to Huotari.

 

 

 

Betty and Logical Placement LLCSM services Southeast Michigan

so call 810-348-1772 to schedule your organizing session.