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!).

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

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!