September is National Save your Photos Month

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Sep 25, 2021

Hello Everyone, Angie from Architecturally Organized here.  

Did you know that September is National Save your Photos Month?

How often do you sort through your photos and save them?  I do not do this enough and figure I need to get a better system in gear.  My current system …. Would consist of me taking a ton of photos on my phone or my “good” camera – printing out the pics I want – and then uploading them all to Amazon Photos.  Sometimes I will put them into albums….but that’s about it… I should be ashamed of myself lol.

I have a few old photos from when I was little… and some from before my time… pics of my grandfather and my nunny that I would like to preserve. I would be devastated if I lost them in a flood/fire/natural disaster.  Figure – I try to organize everything else around me.. Why haven’t I completed organizing my photos??  I don’t know the answer to that.  But since It is “Save your Photos Month” I figured now is as good of a time as any to try and sort through, organize, and back up my hard copy and digital photos!! Join along!!

My first steps…
Finding any and all albums and removing the photos.  I will sort these photos into a few different piles.  

The first pile – which hopefully is the largest – is my TOSS Pile. Any blurry photos or duplicate photos I have will go in this pile.  Any Photos that I look at for more than a second and really have to sit and think about what was special about the photo – it goes in the Toss pile.  Now my Toss pile is a 2 part pile – because as I am sorting through the duplicates – if there are pictures of friends/family who I think would love to have the picture – I will set it aside for them.

The second pile  – This pile is going to be the Best photos out of the Albums.  These are the photos that went into that album with loving care.  These are the photos that I would be extremely sad if I lost them.  These are the photos that I need to make sure I scan to archive them!!!!  

This second pile I will have a hard time with.  I take way too many photos.  I take even more scenic photos when we go on trips.  This is where I need to learn to knock it off, and really just to keep the best scenic shot, not all 150 of them!!  You do not need 300 photos of the Gulf of Maine!!!!!

The third pile – These are for the photos that aren’t trash… but they are not your absolute favorite either, yet you can’t bear to toss them.  These are photos that help support your second pile memories.  These photos probably won’t get scanned in for archiving.

The fourth Pile is for leftover photos that, well it may not be of a specific friend or family member or family vacation – but it is a memory from a moment in time that leaves you laughing (or crying) at the thought of it.  These are odd photos that have a lot of meaning behind them.  These are photos that we will scan and archive!!

The fifth pile  – welcome to the unknown!!! This is the fun pile….  These are the photos of friends or family that you have no idea who it is.   That sounds horrible, but in all seriousness – in life you end up with photos of the unknown. So what do you do? You take some time to visit your mom and/or dad.. Your siblings… your grandparents or great aunt.. And  go through the photos with them.  They may remember that photo – and say o ya, that is a picture of your older cousin Joey when he was a baby.  Take a walk down memory lane!!

The next steps..
Making the piles is mostly the easy part.  The next steps are a bit more laborious…. and time consuming…. and thought inducing… Now we scan and Organize!!!

Scanning – now if you have a scanner, you can do this yourself (like I said – Laborious and time consuming!!!) or you can send them out to have them scanned (FYI Architecturally Organized performs this service). When scanning make sure you wipe away any dust or debri that might be on the photo.  Now is also the time to understand how you will be organizing the photos so that you can save the document correctly.

Should you organize them by date? By Theme? By family? There are numerous ways that you can save the files, the key is finding the best way that works for you.  I like to save them in chronological order.  Now sometimes I will just have the date of the year for a group of photos and sometimes I will have months and days too – I try not to get too picky about it so long as I have them within the right year.  A bonus of doing it chronologically is that it creates a timeline of you and your family’s life.

Organizing via events is easier sometimes as all the christmas photos are in a pile, it is often easier to identify the photos and tagging them and using keywords are easier as well.  Tagging and keywords… that is a BIG thing here.  Try to save as much information to the photo as you can: Dates, Names, Locations, etc.  You want to make these photos easy to find and search for when looking for them!

So what do I do with all the hard copy photos? You can put them back in an album or put them in a box made for photos.  And you make sure to back up all of your digital photos (be it the cloud or a hard drive). Lastly – you make it a habit!! If you do it on a regular basis you won’t be blasted with a ton of pictures to organize and it will make it easier!!

By organizing your photos you are helping yourself and your family out for the future.  Think of all the great photo gifts you can send out, think of the future when your great grandkids are looking through albums and they will know who they are looking at because the photos are so well documented – OK I know I am getting a little cheesy here – but come on.. It’s true!

I hope this was helpful!

Theoretical Thursday – Strength – Utility – Beauty

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Sep 16, 2021

Happy Thursday everyone!! Welcome back to Theoretical Thursday!!
Theoretical Thursdays are the days that we will be talking about Architecture, Organizing and the many different components, connections, traits/etc that Architecture and Organizing have in common.

Last time we discussed Hierarchy, Circulation, and total area. This week’s post we will focus on Strength, Utility and Beauty. I am sure most of you are familiar with Leonardo da Vinci… he was a great…well everything. He was an artist, an architect, an engineer, a sculptor-he was everything. Some of his well known pieces are: The Last Supper, Mona Lisa, and the Vitruvian Man to name a few.

I want to focus on the Vitruvian Man. This man is said to be perfectly proportioned. He is the outcome of Leonardo following the principles of Vitruvius. Vitruvius may not be as well known to some as Leonardo is – hence starting with Leonardo. Vitruvious was an engineer, architect, and author. Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas (“strength”, “utility”, and “beauty”). These three adjectives were the ideal puzzle pieces that every building should have – that was Vitruvius philosophy and these principles were adopted across the board.

How does strength, utility and beauty fit in with organizing?

Well right off the bat… Strength… makes sense right? Be it – in buildings or closets – we want materials and products that will hold up… that won’t bend, twist, or deflect. Let’s say you are in the middle of organizing – anything – you don’t want to pile a flimsy box on top of a flimsy box do you? No. Why not? Because that flimsy box is eventually going to squish from the weight on top of it. We want durable and long lasting storage solutions.

Utility – yes please! This goes not only for the space we are organizing but also regarding the products/items that we are organizing with!! What is the point of organizing a space other than to have it function properly?? What is the point of buying a particular silverware divider if it doesn’t organize your silverware in a way that functions properly for you? That may be a silly example – but I don’t think so – there are NUMEROUS types of drawer silverware organizers out there – but you need to find the product that will allow the drawer to function in a way that works best for you. For me – Utility is a major part in organizing.

Beauty – Let’s face it – we all want to look at pretty things lol
In a paragraph above I asked what was the point in organizing other than having it function properly – well the other answer to that question is Beauty. We want it to be pleasing to look at. Sure we could use cardboard boxes to organize all of our stuff – but who wants to look at that? That is why you can go to The Container Store, Homegoods, etc and find beautiful baskets and storage solutions that make you WANT to look at your closet, cabinet, etc.  For some people – that is why they color coordinate their closets, books, shoes… They want it to be organized and to be aesthetically pleasing.

In big ways and in small ways – Architecture and Organizing are joined at the hip. We will continue to learn and expand on that as our journey continues!!

End of summer organizing…5 Small Projects to help say goodbye to Summer and hello to Fall! And a Giveaway!!

by , on
Aug 18, 2021

This year has been flying by so fast!! We are already past the middle of August, which…in my book means the summer is almost over. Granted we have over a month till the Fall Solstice….. But once the first week of August hits … well…. for me – growing up the first week of August was the County fair…and when the week was over… and the fair was packing up… it was always a big bummer because that was it… school would be starting soon and summer as I knew it was over… lol.. So dramatic!!!  To be honest – with the heat that we have been getting hit with…. I am looking forward to Fall!! 

So in honor of getting ready to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall, I have put together a few little Organizing Projects that you can easily do on your own that will help you get you ready for pumpkin spice and everything nice!

Swap out our clothes!!

When I was little I remember my gram storing away her winter clothes…. And up until my 30’s – it was never something I really did… and to be fair – for the most part I try to keep most of my wardrobe wearable year round – however there are things like big bulky sweaters that do not need to be worn when it’s over 90 degrees.  

Now is the time when I start pulling those items out of storage so that I can wash them and get them put away as well as go through my current closets and drawers and donate items that I do not wear anymore and toss things that are … too “worn in” lol.

Start gathering up all the swimsuits and beach attire and put them away as well as getting out the coats and get them washed and ready for use!

Fall Menu Planning, Fridge Purge and Panty stock

Now is also the time to start bringing out the comfort food!!!  I cook different things in the fall and winter than I do in the spring and summer.  Hello meaty stews and pot pie!! Take some time and take inventory of what you have on hand.  Go through your fridge, your freezer and your pantry.  Take notes of what you have in stock and what you are going to need on hand (example: I rarely use beef broth in the summer time – though it often gets used in the winter for different soups and stews, so I always make sure to pick some up this time of year as I know I will be using it).  

https://www.tiktok.com/@architecturallyorganized/video/6996787810820820230?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

Attack your Central Station (Your document catch all area)

Is it your desk? Your kitchen counter? You’re dining room table? Where do you throw your bills, your important documents, your kids’ school work?  Time to Organize that area!!  

If you have kids- they are going back to school shortly… So all of last year’s work – time to go through it and only keep what you really need – if you are super sentimental – take a few photos of some of the paperwork – but discard the rest.

Purge and shred documents that need to be destroyed, Put everything else where it belongs and get ready to start the season with everything in its place!!

Clean and Swap Decor

I Spring clean… but I also Summer, Fall and Winter clean. In my head – it just makes sense to do a nice thorough cleaning before each season.  I have season decorations up and this just works great for me.  I take down my summer decorations (think fake flowers, kitchen dish towels, table linens and such) – they get washed and put in their designated totes.  Then everything gets a good deep clean.  Everything is dusted, windows are washed, furniture gets moved and vacuumed – the whole 9!! Then it is time to pull out the next seasonal decorations and put them up!!!

Outdoor close up…

Time to give a good clean to your outdoor patio furniture as well as get ready to close the pool!  I know it doesn’t sound like fun – and besides it is “outdoor furniture” … trust me.  “Next Year” you will thank you!!! Take the time now to give everything a good clean before packing things away that way when it’s time to set everything back out you will have less work to do! 

I won’t lie, I love when fall comes around… I love when the days are warm and the evenings are crisp.  I love hoodies and a good campfire.  I love cozy socks and having the fireplace roaring.  

So – you tell me – What do you do at the end of Summer that helps you keep organized?   Now that Summer is ending, there is a good chance your house/garage/attic/etc is in a bit of disarray…I thought- maybe I could help with that and try to make the end of summer not as depressing.

I am hosting an End of Summer Giveaway!!!
(See below on how to enter!!) 

I will pick two names on the last day of August (the 31st) and those (2) winners will receive a 3 hour
zoom/ facebook video chat Virtual Organizing Session. 

The Virtual Organizing sessions will consist of:
Session 1 (1 hour): discussing your problem areas and what your goals are for the space.  You will show me around the space.  You will show me what works for you, what doesn’t work for you and any inspirational ideas that you may have.  After the session is over I will then make a program that works for you and your needs. 

Session 2 (1 hour): During the second session we will go through the program and you can start the work.  I will be with you for the beginning stages so that you can ask any questions.  Once our hour is up you will continue the program on your own.  Once you have completed the program we will schedule our session. 

Session 3 (1hour): We will discuss how everything works for you.  We will discuss any issues you may be having and any new ideas or thoughts that have come to you while you were working.  We will discuss other options that may work better.

Below are ways to enter.  You can have only 1 entry or you can do any or all of the options below (up to 7 total entries) Obviously the more your name is in the pot the better your odds of getting chosen. 

  • 1-Like the Blog Facebook Post that announces the blog and the Giveaway.
  • 1-Share the Blog Facebook Post that announces the blog and the Giveaway.
  • 1-Like Architecturally Organized on Facebook
  • 1-Follow Architecturally Organized on Instagram
  • 1-Follow Architecturally Organized on TikTok
  • 1-Join our mailing list-DM me your email address
  • 1-comment on blog and answer the question “what do you do at the end of the summer that helps keep you organized?”

(if you already follow any of the pages – please let me know -comment on the post that announces the giveaway and you will still receive an entry) 

The Domino effect of Organizing…aka 6 Benefits of being organized.

by , on
Aug 14, 2021

I don’t know about you – but I know that I tend to feel…. Lost? Unfocused? ( I am not sure what the right word to use is) when my living spaces and work spaces are not organized.  When my desk is a mess I feel that I can not concentrate on the tasks that I have to complete.  

I take time out and clean up/organize and then I feel I can concentrate on what I am doing …. Once I feel I am fully focused my mood  gets better and I feel more productive and energized… and so on… Guess what that is?? The Domino effect of Organizing.  Check it out!!

Organizing will save you time.

You have just spent 10 minutes looking for the tape.  You are now running late to that Birthday dinner.  You thought it was in the junk drawer, apparently it wasn’t.  It takes time to organize your house, but once it is…you will no longer be wasting time looking for things.  When you organize a space everything has its own “home”.  A place to find an item and a place to put an item back.

And this leads to …. 

Organizing makes clean up a breeze.

Even if your house feels like it’s upside down, it doesn’t take long to put it back upright.  In most cases, when my house is in disarray – I can have it picked up and ready for company in 15 minutes or so (including vacuuming) because I already had it organized.  Everything has its “home” – so all I have to do is fold some blankets, put things back in their rightful places, throw some dishes in the dishwasher and we’re good to go. 

So if it saves you time and makes cleaning up a breeze… guess what that means? 

Organizing can help reduce stress

Think about it… You now know where everything goes so you no longer need to worry about that pile of stuff that has been waiting to be put away because you had no idea where to put everything-when your house is organized you do not need to stress where to put it because it will already have a home waiting for it – or at a minimum a designated spot. Remember that tape you were looking for? You won’t need to worry about finding it because you will always know where it is… like I said…one less thing for you to worry about!!

Guess what less stress can lead to??

Organizing can help increase your productivity!!

You are now less stressed.  Your mind is no longer dwelling on that tape or the pile of things that only the lord knows where you are going to put it…you have more confidence knowing where things are at.  Now you have made some space in your head for the other things that you should be focusing on.  You have time to focus on work, or your family work schedule.  You are more able to manage your deadlines and family activities!!

So where are we?? Cleaning your house is a snap of a finger, you are feeling more productive and getting more work done and on top of that you are feeling less stressed…. What does that lead us to????

Organizing helps give you more “ME” time!!!

Do I need to say anymore???  I don’t, but I will.

With all this free time you have saved (extra time not cleaning the house, extra time not looking for odds and ends and tape, extra time not working because you are so productive….) now you have time to focus on YOU!!!  Work on that craft that you have put aside, soak in the tub with some wine, read that book…. You have more YOU time so eat it up!!!

Remember this is the Domino effect we are working with…. So now that your house is clean, and you are so relaxed from the soak in the tub, you don’t have a worry in the world… you better believe that….

Organizing can help you sleep better!

Think about your bedtime routine… What does it look like?? Can you fall right asleep right away  or are you up tossing and turning and overthinking things? When you have less stuff on the brain and you are more relaxed you tend to have a better night’s sleep. Now, I am not a Doctor or a Sleep Specialist – but this is my experience.   

So there you have it…. A few of the benefits from Organizing your house… who couldn’t use some more me time??? And think – that is only the positives of organizing your house – we haven’t even talked about taking organizing into your daily life!! But that is a post for another day!

8 Organizing Steps that I follow to help keep my house (and life) in check!

by , on
Jun 25, 2021

So – Today is the day!! You have made the conscious decision that you are going to get your house (and with it – your life) in order.  You feel confident.  You feel MOTIVATED!! You are ready to take on anything – including that pile of folded laundry that has been sitting in the basket for over a week (Oh – is that just me?!?!) You take a look around your house… you see the unopened mail piled up on the table by the door… the opened mail in a pile on the desk… shoes scattered around the front door… a pile of… god knows what sitting at the base of the stairs waiting to be picked up…. And boom – that motivation and confidence… it didn’t just slip out of your fingers – it jumped out of your hands and ran out the front door screaming.


Does any of this sound familiar?? Can you relate?? Guess what?? Most people can.  I CAN!! I have been in that scenario plenty of times.  Yes – I am an organizer, however, I was not always an organized person (before 9th grade I had THE messiest bedroom in the world!).  Once I began 9th grade a flip switched in my head – I started making my bed each morning and somehow that evolved into everything being tidy and organized.  So over the last 20+ years I have worked on perfecting my organizational skills – and it has become my own artform -It is what works best for me and I want to share it with you – the rules I live by to keep my house organized.

  1. Pick a Space and stick to it.

First things first – If you are too busy focusing on the big picture (aka the whole house or the whole room) you could very well get easily overwhelmed.  Don’t do this.  Start by looking at the smaller picture.  Pick one space and stick with it.  Focus on it only.  Not only will this help you not get too over your head – once you have completed this one small task it will help you feel more accomplished and possibly bring those feelings of Motivation and confidence back. Once you have selected the space you’re going to tackle, move on to the next step!

  1. Look at what you have

This is where the fun begins!! You know the old saying “you gotta spend money to make money”…. Well I have a new one for ya.…. “You  gotta make a mess to organize your mess”.  This process is when you take everything out of the space you are organizing – for example: your bedroom closet.  Pull everything out.  Empty it out.  You need to know what you have in order to organize it.  This is the easiest of all the steps.  You want to make the next step easier? Start putting things in piles now!! Separate items into their piles when you are emptying out the space. You’ll thank yourself later!

  1. Wipe down

Your space is now empty, so before you go putting things back – CLEAN IT.  Wipe it down, vacuum it, do what you have to do – but clean the space so it is ready to hold all your items.

  1. Like with Like

Once you have emptied out the space you need to put “like with like” so you can see what you have. Again – we will go with using the closet as an example.  You will divide up your piles.  Categorize everything…..Piles of shirts – long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless… piles of pants…jeans, work pants, etc.  Boots…Heels… flats…. You get the idea!!! Once you have all your different piles you will attack each pile one by one with the next step.

  

  1. Purge!!!

Marie Kondo tells people to ask themselves if an item brings you “joy”, and if so – then keep it.  This is a great idea, but not always feasible – Start with – “do i really need this?” and be HONEST with yourself.  Guilt is not a reason to keep something.  Remember the pile of clothes I mentioned above? Now is the time to go through it.

You are going to start with one pile.  We will use a pile of long sleeve shirts as our example.  You are going to sort the pile into color coded piles – and WHILE you are doing that you will be reviewing each article of clothing.  When was the last time you wore it? Does it fit you? Did you get rid of it? Good for you! Did it go in the designated color coded pile? That’s fine too-we’ll be coming back to it!!

So – now that you have individual piles of long sleeve tops – look at your biggest pile, for me – that would probably be black tops or white tops.  How many black tops do I need? Not a big pile worth.  NOW is the time to refer back to the art of tidying. Look at each top and narrow it down to just a few.  Obviously I am not coming to your house and looking through your closet so if you decide to keep them all – there is no penalty by me lol.

  1. Find a “home” for everything

Obviously for our example of a closet – that is the clothes “home” but for other items in other spaces – this is what they need.  A home.  A place to call their own.  A place where you know it will always be and where it will always go.  This is also where the idea of hierarchy comes into play (see my Theoretical Thursday blog post – https://www.architecturallyorganized.com/architecturally-organized/theoretical-thursday-architecture-and-organizing/ ).  What do you use the most vs the least? The items that get the most use, more often than not, should be in the most accessible places.  This will be different for each person as each person is unique as are their needs.  One person will have their business attire front and center.

  1. Contain your items

Sometimes your space needs some extra help.  You have the perfect location for an item – but it needs something more.  Sometimes a basket or box to contain the item is all it takes. Start by taking a look at DIY storage ideas or baskets/boxes you may already have in your own home.  Reutilize them to save on cost.  Organizing does not have to mean running around to The Container Store or TJ Maxx buying tons of containers.  You can easily find things around your own house to hold items.

  1. Maintain your space

Congrats!!! All the easy work is done!!! Now comes the hard work – You have to maintain your organized and tidy space!  That is what takes the most time and effort – taking the time to put things away where they belong. You need to keep yourself invested in it and not let things fall to the wayside.  Which of course is easier said than done sometime, especially when life decides to attack you!

That’s the gist of it.  Those are the steps I follow when going through a room or space to get it clean and organized.  Obviously some of these steps will take longer in different rooms but the end result is a space that houses things you use, need and love. Keep in mind when I am performing these tasks I am usually also cleaning while I am doing it. Wiping things down, dusting, vacuuming when needed – etc.

Take an afternoon and apply these to a space in your own house and let me know how it goes!!!

How Organized are you?

by , on
Jun 15, 2021

What is your level of “organized”?? Are their magic tips and tricks or secret lists that enable people to stay organized?

Is there a magic word out there that if you shout it out 3 times your house will be magically transformed and everything will be organized and you will live happily ever after?

No, I don’t think there is. Though if you google enough you will definitely find plenty of lists-some that even claim such a thing will happen.  But let’s be real here – there is no secret list, magic word or spell or sorcery.  In my eyes – it is just a lot of boring routine work and paying attention to your surroundings.  You see something lying around where it shouldn’t be – you pick it up and put it away.  That is my key…. I don’t know what the right word is here  … my key understanding… my key process… I don’t know.. What I do know is if you do that on a regular basis it will help keep your house organized.

I think Organizing means something different to everyone, and one list is not going to make everybody happy.  Yes – the basics of the word is the same-But I think there are different levels of it for different people.  For some – just having all their spices in one spot in their kitchen is organized enough for them… then you have those (eehhhheeemmm, let me clear my throat) who need them in matching jars and labels…. Then a step above this… those that put them in alphabetical order… which level are you? (I don’t put my spices in alphabetical order – but in order of most used to least-it’s what makes the most sense to me for my kitchen use)  

 

I think the BIGGEST tip of all is that everything should have a “home”.

 

And to further this statement, this “home” should be in a practical location.
For most items – and most people – this is common sense; however – the final location may not be the same for everyone.
That practical location is different for everyone, and finding a system that works best for you is the end game.

What is an object you have-that for your home  and for you-  that just makes sense to keep it where you have it – but for others it doesn’t make sense?  For me – I would say it’s that my Ralphie boy (aka my chocolate lab)  gets a portion of a cabinet that is strictly for him.  We do not have an attached garage or a mud room for storing his supplies, so the small everyday items go into this cabinet.  He has his leash in there, a refillable container of dog food, some treats and other odds and ends (I still have some of his puppy teeth!!).  For me it makes sense as I feed him in the kitchen, he gets treats in the kitchen, when we go on walks we exit out of the kitchen. For me,this is the most practical place for his items. 

Pinterest Perfect or Perfect for you?

by , on
Jun 7, 2021

Pinterest is a great tool – but not always reality….

Who all uses Pinterest? I think almost everyone.  You can find ANYTHING on that site!! I have been on pinterest for years… pining recipes, outfits, makeup tips and cleaning/organizing tips and tricks.  It’s a great place to get ideas and inspiration….though, I won’t lie – most things I have pinned just sit in their folder.  Granted – Pinterest upped their game and added the feature of folders within folders – and this made my heart happy (I am sure every person who loves to organize was jumping for joy when this option became available!!)!!  I could organize all my recipes by meal type – I was in heaven, but after that they still just sat there… lol… anyone else?? Bueller?? Bueller?? (I know I am not the only person who pins and leaves them hanging….am I??) (Image found:  http://sacraparental.com/2013/10/13/the-sacrament-of-housework-4-my-11-best-stolen-home-organisation-tips/)

Pinterest can be a bit intimidating no matter what your hobby or profession.  You login.. enter your search word… and voila…. you have a world of ideas at your fingertips and you can scroll for hours (That’s not just me too is it?) looking at all the picture perfect cakes, closets and wardrobes – and you think I could do that!!

So what do you do? You grab your crafting supplies, your baking supplies or your make up and you go to town… and you end up with … A not so picture perfect product.  You have to remember – these Pinterest Perfect Posts are done (mostly) by professionals or at least by someone who has been making the same thing over to the point of perfecting it, and often have the help of some great lighting and props…   

(image found at:  https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/epic-pinterest-food-fails-2013?sub=2849392_2193016 )

Like I said… Intimidating… But it doesn’t have to be.  Those picture perfect cakes and closets – they are not everyone’s reality and that is ok!!  Like I said – for me – it is all about INSPIRATION!!  When it comes to Pinterest and Organizing – Yes, it can sometimes give us feelings of self doubt…feelings of being overwhelmed… or that we are just not capable of doing something…  Well – I think you have to be positive and not focus on the negative…  The site can really inspire.  Look at it for its creativity and the ideas you can get from it.  That is what your focus should be. 

I think there are different levels of Organizing for different people.  Each and everyone of us are different just like each and every one of our Organizing projects are  going to be different.  Some people – they have Pinterest expectations, but for most of us – we just want things to work for us.  I could be wrong – but I have a feeling those Pinterest Perfect closets and cabinets do not stay perfect for long… maybe I am wrong…. but those people probably don’t have a spouse… or kids…. or company over…ever (I am teasing here – but not really). 

So you tell me – What does “Organized” mean to you??  Is it everything matching – labels, soup cans facing the same way – do images of the organized kitchen cabinets from Sleeping with the Enemy pop in your head?!?!?!  Or is it the ease of knowing where everything is? That everything has its “home”? You tell me!!

Organizing – Born with or Learned?

by , on
May 26, 2021

Is Organizing a characteristic you are born with or is it something you learn over time? Give me your thoughts!

Do you always know where everything is located in your house? On your desk? In your car?  When someone asks you where the scissors are- do you rattle off “in the drawer to the left of the stove, on the front left side” ??? Do you have a really good memory that you can remember which drawer (and the exact spot)  the scissors are located off the top of your head or does that come from a routine of just going into the same drawer over and over?

I think it can be both.  I do think that some people just have the knack for it.  I like to think that I have that gift, And yes – That was me calling out where the scissors were located.  Have I always been an organized person? The answer for that would have to be not always lol. As a child – wow.. I had a VERY messy room.  I remember my mom once hiring someone to come clean my room and throw everything out (I got moved to the “little bedroom” because I couldn’t keep my room clean). 

Then something hit me.. In 9th grade I realized how nice it was to get into a made bed at the end of the day, and from that point on I started keeping my room clean, my things organized, and my bed made! 

I think everyone has times when they are not organized.  It’s only natural.  There are times when I feel my house is in shambles and I have mail piled up and dishes piled up because…. well because life just got in the way.  Let’s face it – nobody is perfect.  And that is ok. What do you do? You get in there and clean up what needs to be cleaned, put back items to their rightful place, and throw out the things you don’t need.  That is a benefit of being organized – clean ups can be quick (But that will be another post for another day!).

But I also think that organizing is something that you can learn.  I think even those who are inherently in order continue to learn how to organize for themselves.  And organizing takes practice and patience.  I am always semi aware of the placement of things and am always on the lookout for a better solution.  

Where do you fit in with all this? Were you born with “it” but are always trying to learn new ways to stay productive and organized? Or are you reading this hoping for some tips and tricks that you can learn to become organized?