Getting organized can start at any time, on any day, but why not today?

Our eight top tips for getting started, today!

1.) Start Small. …
Make one shelf in your home, beautiful and perfect. Organize one closet, one drawer, so that every time you see that space, you light up. Then keep doing that until your home makes your heart happy.

2.) Use One Calendar for Everything. …
And in case you haven’t heard, OSO has produced their own calendar!  Keep everything in one place so you never miss an appointment!

3.) Establish Daily, Weekly and Monthly Routines. …
Did we mention the calendar? Put your routine down on PAPER and FOLLOW it religiously!

4.) Set Manageable Goals. …
Please don’t try to reorganize your entire home in one day or one weekend. Set one room per weekend, or even one closet per weekend. It takes time to properly craft and curate the home of your dreams. It is doable, but remember it takes time and don’t give up!

5.) Divide and Conquer. …
Break your project up into small chunks!

6.) Find a Home for Everything. …
If it doesn’t have a home – do you need it? Or, where would you like it to live? What is occupying that space currently? Does that object make you happy? Make your life better?

7.) Stamp Out Piles of Mail. …
This is my worst subject! It has taken me months to get back into the habit of getting the mail done right away, but honestly – bills can be paid online and the cards stop coming after Dec 26th, so the mail is mostly junk! Say goodbye!

8.) Enlist Help. …
Preferably not from friends and family.  A neutral party can be very helpful, as you know they aren’t going to be hurt or upset to see that you aren’t keeping that ugly Christmas sweater.  Find a junk pickup service in your area, donate to the salvation army, goodwill or AMVETS (they pickup too – from your porch, whatever one man can carry!).

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Fall has officially arrived here in Chicagoland. The temperature has dropped below 70 during the day, and the evenings are borderline cold. Cooler temperatures mean more time inside – is your home ready for that? Besides weatherproofing, does your family have indoor activities ready to go and easy to find? Indoor space to play and relax?

The fall is the time for change. As the leaves turn from greens to all the reds, yellows and browns, we prepare for the winter ahead, and that includes our homes. Clearing clutter, just like clearing the fallen leaves, prepares us for the spring. Once the clutter is gone, the flowers of our minds and hearts can truly bloom.

Start small – as you pull out the decorations for the fall and winter holidays, consider what you aren’t totally in love with, and release it. Let it go, give it to charity and let someone else love it. Let it out of it’s cardboard box prison and let someone treasure it, the way you once did.

Even if it was a gift, or a treasured craft created by your child, you can release the object, while keeping the memory. You could even take a photo of it, and create a slide show for your screen saver, letting the memory of the object come to you a few times a day!

Let OSO help you save time this fall, get organized and create family friendly systems, so you can feel peace in your space!

Call now to take advantage of the October Spooky Special!
630.453.2582

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As summer draws to a close and the weather begins to turn, I feel motivated to make adjustments in my home space.  Sometimes it’s a closet refresh, sometimes a maneuvering of furniture, sometimes the beginning of a whole new chapter.  In the Chicago area, the change in seasons from summer to fall can mean a big change in the weather. It’s now time to pull out the scarves, sweaters and boots!  During this time of year, when we swap our summer wardrobes for fall and winter, it is also a wonderful opportunity to purge some of the items you aren’t deeply in love with anymore.  A fun fall idea to motivate your purging is to have a wardrobe, purse or jewelry swap with friends!  Purge your items, and swap for something new – costs you nothing, and gives you a fun night out with friends!

The best part about fall for me – BACK TO SCHOOL!  The school supplies, crisp air, and renewed feeling of learning always excites me!  However, for little kids, adjusting to a new school routine and staying organized can be tricky.  Routines can be so helpful with this. Having the same wake up time every day, setting aside time for homework every day at the same time, having a place for backpacks to hang and reminders to hang them there – everyday.

Students need a homework station – and even in the smallest of spaces, this can be accomplished.  Having a clear space with a jar for pens, pencils, rulers, glue, etc. is really all that’s needed.  But it needs to be clutter-free and removed from distractions like phones, TV and games.

Create a space for backpacks for school as well as activity bags for sports, teams, etc. In the mudroom, or garage are great places for these!  Use your vertical space and 3M hooks to hang bags in neat order!  When it’s game-time, you can just grab and go!

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March 2019 only!  Contact us for details!

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1. Purge paper into the system of three: shred/toss, file or take action.
2. Put into use a color coded filing system. Here’s how we like to do it:
   Green – Financial
   Red – Medical
   Orange – Personal
   Yellow – Insurance
   Blue – House
3. Create a Mail Station. In order to maintain control of the paper coming into the home office, create a mail station. Make a folder for incoming and outgoing mail, mail to file, bills and a folder for every family member. As soon as the mail comes in, file it in the mail station. Then once a week, take a few minutes and go through each folder.
4. Printing station – space for printer and supplies to live
5. Store in containers – office have lots of little things like paperclips, tape, staples, etc. They are easier to find when they’re in their own container, inside a drawer or box.
6. Use a label maker! Because, you all know my love for labels, it makes it simple to find what you need, and put it back when you’re finished.
7. Categorize:
   1. Stickies (sticky notes, tabs, stickers, etc.)
   2. Tools (straight cutter, staple, staple remover, hole puncher)
   3. Budget (checkbook, calculator, bill calendar)
   4. Writing Tools (markers, pens, pencils)
   5. Mail (envelopes, stamps, address labels)
   6. Labeling (labeler and label tape)
8. Organize books: keep books so you can easily find them. Sort by color, title, author, or subject. It’s your library – you get to choose!
9. Life binders: grab-and-go in case of emergency:
   Medical
   Pet
   Auto
   Manuals
   House
   Personal
10. Wall space: hang filing systems, whiteboards, calendars, shelving, etc. save space by going vertical!!

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Welcome to February, organizers!  (Yes, I think all of us are organizers, in our own way.)

February is the time to stay inside and rethink the resolutions we made more than a month ago.  Haven’t kept with yours?  According to an article I recently read in The Independent, January 12 was the day most of us gave up.

Why, you may ask?  In my opinion, our goals are too big, and generally unattainable.  “I’m getting my WHOLE HOUSE cleaned up TODAY!”  Is just not usually going to happen. So, today, our focus is on SMALL places we can get organized in one Saturday afternoon.  Such as, your pantry.

The pantry is by far the “closet” we use the most.  We are in there between three and ten times a day!  Per person in our house!  How much time can we save just by making our pantry so it’s easier to find things, our food is stored in a way that keeps it fresh.  So, this month, with every purchase of organizing hours, you’ll receive your choice of jars or containers to help get your pantry working for YOU!

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Lack of commitment, on the other hand, results in goals not being met. What are the obstacles that get in the way of commitments? Often it is lack of time, energy, focus, quitting when things get difficult, fear of failure or fear of success. All of these can demolish a well-intentioned goal. Other culprits can be our mindset, doubt in our abilities and lack of faith in ourselves. At times we get in our own way, and there are times we let others get in our way and convince us to give up.

Commitment is key when setting goals and starting any project and organizing is no exception. What can you do to see your goals through no matter the obstacles? How can you stay strong and focused?

Tips to Stay on Course:
* Have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, be specific and detailed
* Keep your mindset clear and focused on what you want and WHY
* Remind yourself of your WHY daily and repeatedly
* Believe in yourself and your abilities to reach the finish line Have a plan for what steps to take when obstacles appear
* Reward yourself as you complete small steps along the way
* Be your own cheerleader and enlist a support system to help you
* Build your commitment muscle through practice

It is helpful to remember that commitment and goal success in one area can bleed over and reinforce success in other areas. As you follow through and complete what you said you were going to do, when you said you were going to do it, how you said you were going to do it, it becomes a habit and easier.

As winter winds to a close focus on your successes and get psyched for Spring! Contact Open Space Organizing for any questions you have or if you need hands-on help. We are happy to assist!

Spring is coming!

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Chasing material possessions and over-buying can cause added stress during an already busy season. The meaning and fun of Christmas can be lost in the hustle and bustle. Be aware of striving for perfection or responding to advertisements to acquire more and more! Less is, less stressful and less costly.

Take a moment, think back and remember some of your fondest holiday memories! What came to mind… was it the holiday tree, a special activity, singing carols with family, or reaching out to help others in need?

If you are like most people you remembered an experience or special holiday event as opposed to the number of gifts you received. Our memories tend to not clutter our closets, basement, garage, or require costly storage units to keep.

Tips To Keep Your Christmas Presence:

• Schedule a night off to relax with family or friends
• Declutter your schedule and say NO to some invitations
• Prioritize commitments and say YES to activities that are most important
• Save time and money by not over-buying gifts
• Simplify decorations and save time putting up and taking down 

During the holiday season focus on what is most important, and remember less is more. Keep your Christmas Presence by keeping it simple! Open Space Organizing is here to help if you need it!

Christmas Presence over Christmas Presents

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Tips To Reclaim Your Basement (and make Hollywood look elsewhere for their horror movie set):
*Make a plan for how you would like to use the area. Examples; Exercise Area, Play/Toy Area, Craft Area, Theatre Area, etc.
* Purge items not being used, or not needed. Hint; items that have 4 inches of dust on them, items that no one can identify, items the family has outgrown, items missing key pieces, etc.
* Designate one area for storage to resist using the entire basement for storage. Use labels in this area to indicate what item goes where.
* Carefully consider new items before bringing them down. Consider if it is needed, if you already have one, or if you are keeping it just because there is room.
Follow these tips and turn your horror set back into a useful space!

Organized basement

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Organize your holiday by planning your gifting. This is the time of year to appreciate and remember friends, family, neighbors, teachers and all those you care about. Think back on gifts you have received that were most memorable to you. As always it is the thought behind the gift that makes it special. Consider giving the gift of time; a lunch date, movie date, a visit or helping with a task. Consider giving the gift of an experience; a membership, an event, or a lesson to learn a new skill. How will you organize and plan your gifting to make it meaningful and stress free?

Plan Your Schedule

Organize your holiday by planning your schedule. It is easy to lose sight of the meaning of the season in the flurry to get it all done. Going faster is not the answer, if speeding down the wrong road. When it gets chaotic stop, assess where you are and what you are doing, next prioritize, decide on a course of action and then continue moving forward. Have a plan and alter it as needed to keep yourself on track. Give yourself the gift of calmness this holiday and slow your pace.

Plan To Make Time For Your Traditions

Organize your holiday by focusing on and enjoying traditions. What is your favorite holiday family tradition? In my family one of our traditions is “The Box”. It appears every year and is given to a member of the family. At times it holds a present, other times just a note. The Box is a Carson Pirie Scott shirt box and in 1979 my younger brother gave my Mom a gift in it and instead of wrapping it (he was a busy college kid, no time for wrapping!) just wrote on the top of the box From Steve, To Mom. The next year she gave it back to him, again not wrapped and just wrote on the box.

A tradition was born and each year another inscription is added and The Box is given. The Box has our family history written all over it; long notes, short notes, silly notes, sad notes, milestones of births and losses, hardships and triumphs. The Box is now wrapped each year and the receiver is responsible to hold onto the box and give it the following year. Each receiver unwraps The Box and reads all the inscriptions from 1979 to the present Christmas. It is a silly, sentimental tradition that makes us smile and and cry, and is ours alone. It reminds us of Christmases past, time together and the love of family.

“The Box”

Take the time this holiday to plan your gifting, plan your schedule and honor the traditions you find important and meaningful!

Wishing you a joyful, organized and peaceful holiday season! Merry Christmas!

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