Here’s a neat article from Real Simple Magazine that I guarantee you will find interesting at times.

For you hoarders of things…. it’s your time to shine!

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/new-uses-for-old-things/favorite-new-uses-00000000019718/index.html

I know everyone has been saying the same thing, but it’s true. It went so fast, furious and threw cold, rainy days at us when we prayed for otherwise.

I can’t say that it stopped me and mine from having the time of our lives, though!

Now that September is here, and I feel that it is the beginning of a new year of production, it’s time to buckle down.

What are your goals for this fall, winter and spring seasons coming up? I delete summer because I think that we have to take a break from as much as possible and enjoy what little of it we have.

My new goal is to blog more on my site. I want to spread the word about our interior environment having it’s effect on us and how we can improve that effect by enhancing with the little things that don’t cost a lot of money.

I am going to talk about the bargains that make us happy for our home. About the changes we can make that give us inspiration and calm, both at the same time. About the creative being we have within ourselves that can embrace our spaces so that we feel like saying “aaaaaahhhhhhhh” when we walk into our homes.

I am going to post interesting articles about organizing, time saving, clutter busting, and more.

Patti Smith

Lynne Maukonen is the lucky winner of the session at her home! I will be coming over, Lynne, and we will have a blast moving things, editing, refreshin, so that you will have a renewed look and feel when you come home. You will get re-excited about your home!

Congrats, Lynne!

Q: What is your name?A: Kerith (pronounced “care-eth”) Paterson Q:  Where do you live and how long have you been an Organizer?

A: I live North Vancouver, B.C. and I have been a Trained Professional Organizer since November 2007

 Q: You are also a photographer.  Can you explain how photography has helped you become a better organizer? 

A: The photography really complements the organizing.  It has trained my eyes to see what colors, what patterns, what groupings, etc. work together, and the importance of negative space.  It has also taught me how to gain the trust of my client. Q: If money were not a factor, what would be your occupation?A: I would be doing exactly this…my photography and my organizing, but on a bigger scale.Q: Have you always been organized, or is it something you’ve learned?A: My places of work have always been extremely organized.  My co-workers used to ask if all my shelves at home were labeled.  (They’re not!)  I have always loved digging into a space and making it functional and beautiful.  I joke that I am a true Gemini.  I can be a true slob as well – just ask my husband – so I understand both ends of it and the obstacles people face. Q:  Who is your ideal client?A: My ideal client is anyone who is looking for change in their environment – especially anyone in a transitional phase who feels stuck or at a loss as to where to begin. Q:  How do your sessions work?  Do you offer maintenance packages?A: I currently charge a flat fee for consultation and then an hourly rate after that.  Trust me; the results are well worth the investment. Q:  What do you find most rewarding in your organizing occupation?A: Nothing is more rewarding that the “I can do this” that comes over the client.Q: How “green” are you?A: I really believe that our job as organizers is so important to the environment in that it is often an eye-opener for clients as to how much stuff they have and how much they really don’t need.  I highly recommend watching www.storyofstuff.com as a good reminder.  I am always trying to keep things simple and earth-friendly. Q: Do you ever do public speaking on organizing?  A: In the next year I hope to join Toastmasters and learn to become a good public speaker.Q:  You are a very personable soul.  In regards to organizing, do you find your clients really open up to you, and put their trust in you?  How important do you think a trait like that is to have? A: Trust is crucial!  I am always truly honoured that my clients have opened their doors to me and have allowed me to help respect, reclaim and rejuvenate their space. Q:  All Organizers seem to have a favourite tool…what is yours?A: My trusty little red leather measuring tape!  I measure before I move items, before I buy items, and before I plan for clients. Q:  What is the best advice you have for up-an-coming Organizers?

A: Treat your business like any other customer-service-driven small business and get started!  There is also a telecourse (“Should I Become an Organizer”) offered on the POC (Professional Organizers in Canada) website that explains the ins and outs of Professional Organizing. 

Q: What’s the best advice you can give someone who is feeling overwhelmed organizationally?

A: We are only given one life on this planet.  Live it to its fullest.  If you are feeling overwhelmed, that’s your cue that it’s time for a change.  Just start!  If you need some motivation / guidance call someone.  A good Professional Organizer is never judgmental.  You have only time, space, confidence and peace of mind to gain. Q: What’s on the horizon?A: One important thing I had planned to do once I became a Professional Organizer is to volunteer in some capacity with the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), seeing how my company name is Visual Girl Home Therapy.  I have never taken my eyesight for granted and I cannot think of anyone more organized that a person without sight.  I am humbled by the thought and I feel I have much to learn from such an experience.  Loved meeting you Kerith… I think we will be friends for a very long time!Patti   

Travel Plans

This is it! The month that I’m about to embark on my dream trip; my trip of a lifetime… the Greek Islands. As you read this, I may be touring the ruins of the lost city of Atlantis, or having lunch overlooking the Aegean sea, or basking in the sun by the pool. It is my honeymoon!When we have travel plans, it seems that little ‘to do’ items keep cropping up, stressing us out so much that by the time we leave we really ARE ready for a vacation! Here are a few tips to help you out with all that. Get your little ‘To Do’ notebook out, and don’t forget to look at your ‘Ta Dah’ list also, as you need to feel rewarded for your efforts.Plan Your Outfits in Advance. I can’t stress this one enough. If you’re on a four-day trip, review your schedule in your head and add up the number of times you estimate you’ll need to change clothes. Then, plan what you’ll wear for each change. This will keep your travel wardrobe lean and mean, and you won’t drag along any extra pieces that you end up not wearing.Choose a Color Scheme. Plan to wear pants/skirts in one dark neutral, either black or brown. Then add tops in a light neutral (grey, tan or white). Then, add a few more pieces in shades of a single bright color such as blue or red .  Throw in some accessories and jewelry and you’re all set. Get a Smaller Bag. Parkinson’s Law states that work expands according to the amount of time available. So try buying a smaller bag and you’ll force yourself to pack lighter. Use Your Shoes As Containers. If you have to pack shoes in your luggage, remember they’re hollow, so you may as well take advantage of the space inside them. Stuff them with socks, underwear, or even other shoes.Carry one on. If you’re taking an airline or other mass transit to your destination, always carry on a small carry-on bag that contains your prescription medications, some of your cosmetics, a toothbrush/toothpaste duo, your cell phone, a change of clothes, underwear and a good book. Just in case your luggage doesn’t make it when you do, you’ll have your important items with you. Bag it. If you don’t plan on washing your clothes while you’re away, be sure to pack an empty plastic bag so your dirty items can be kept separate from your clean clothes. Bring one of those Tide To Go sticks for emergency cleanups.Bring games for the kids.
It’s definitely worth it to stop by your local travel store to find some travel games for the kids, such as Travel Bingo, magnetic checkers or coloring books. Also, don’t forget some snacks and pre-frozen boxed juices as the little ones are bound to get hungry at one point or another. A portable DVD player, or a laptop computer to watch movies could be your best friend!There’s no place like home.
Before you leave for vacation, clean your house, wash all of your laundry and make your bed. When you arrive back home after your vacation, your home will be a welcome haven.

Last week I picked out kitchen cupboards and countertop for a client. It was more fun than I thought it would be! I got thinking about spring and kitchens, so that’s the topic this month.
We all look at those magazines that have beautiful kitchen ads in it, or feature kitchens. We want our kitchen to look like that!
Try to look at your kitchen as the best it can be, accepting it for what it is, but adding the right accessories to punch up your look. Of course, to add accessories, we must remove some of what we have. Why hold on to that dated little piece that you haven’t used in eons. Kitchen accessories should be both beautiful AND functional.
Start by paring down what you have, then add a new item that you love, and voila! You’ve got yourself a fresh kitchen at a fraction of the price! 
· Look at your kitchen with subjective eyes, or ask a friend who’s taste you like, to give you an honest opinion of the overall feel of the room. What little things can be done to make a big difference?
· Look in your cupboards first. Are there things that can be donated or designated to another place of storage? This can make room for the appliances taking up space on your countertop.
· Look at the movie “No Reservations” with Catherine Zeda Jones. You’ll see a functioning kitchen in a romantic chick flick. Also, on HGTV, “Restaurant Makeover” shows some small but highly functioning restaurant kitchens. This will help your awareness of how you in YOUR kitchen, and if you need to move some things around. Are your dishes near your dishwasher? Are your pots and pans near the stove? The stove utensils? The oils and spices?
· Look up. You likely have a clock up on your wall. For $10 to $30 you can get a contemporary looking one to suit your new look.
· Look down. Do you have an old worn area rug in front of your sink? Update that look and add some colour that you haven’t thought of using in a kitchen before. There are pinks, blues, and melon colours in lots of kitchen accessories these days, from ladles to peelers, to mixers. I love the white look with a  bit of chrome for accessories. Very Ikea-ish, I know.
· Look around. Can the window treatments use a bit of freshening?  Match them up with your other accessories and be cheered.
· Look at your dishes. If they are white, then you can match them up with a fresh set of cloth napkins and stainless rings for your next dinner. Who needs a special occasion? Invite friends or family over to see your new look. You can change your dishes for a season with a set of 4 trendy ones for about $20 at a department store.
· Look at your chairs. Could they use a coat of paint or a newly upholstered seat that, of course, matches your new window treatments? A trendy look is mismatched wood chairs.
If your bank account doesn’t match your kitchen dreams just yet, let these tips elevate your satisfaction level with the kitchen you do have at this moment. Tear out kitchen pictures for your goal kitchen someday, but only when that is a priority. Living in this moment with any room of your home is a Patti-principal I try to adhere to, and worth encouraging the readers of this newsletter to do! Treat each room with the respect it deserves. It’s reward for surrounding you in a safe haven of delight!

This weekend the clocks go ahead already! Twice a year, the time change is a good instigation for editing our homes for the spring clean. Here in Ontario, we are not ready to think about spring cleaning our homes. We can hold off on that till April or May. One thing we can do is edit some things to ready ourselves for the onslaught of inspiration that comes with those months. In the same way that we ‘pre-pack’ before we show our homes to sell, we can ‘pre-purge’ before we freshen our homes up for summer. We are aware clutter diminishes our clarity and occupies space, physical and mental. It interferes and distracts, and diminishes efficiency and effectiveness. It keeps us from moving ahead in our lives. We will be mentally, physically, and spiritually ready for the change of seasons when we see our home environment represented as the fresh fun free feeling of summer!

Here are a few tips to help you make your month of March your preparation month. Believe it or not, summer is indeed coming!

1. Closets: You’re looking at your winter wardrobe still, and asking yourself if you have worn everything in it. If not, then you probably won’t next year either. Pack them up in the Salvation Army bag that you always have handy at the back of your closet. What about those shoes you haven’t worn this winter?

2. Kid’s It is time to take stock of your children’s clothing, switching out seasonal items and assessing whether things fit them anymore. Go through each child’s clothing and decide whether to donate, discard, or save outgrown items for another child in your family. You can sort items to keep into clear containers by size and gender, such as “Boys Sizes 6-8.” If they have games they haven’t played in the cold winter months, try to coax them into donating to a needy child in the community, or even a friend of theirs.

3. Pantry: Go through your pantry and donate to the food bank all of the still jarred and packaged gift basket remnants from the holidays, throw out the old valentine chocolate, the stale croutons, and the mixes you’ll never bake. Organize your refrigerator to make more room for the wonderful fresh spring and summer produce. On your shelves you can also use plastic salad mix bins to contain packages of crackers, nuts, spices, etc.

4. Home Office: Since you’re finishing up your income taxes, it’s an excellent time to archive and purge old files. A rule of thumb we use is to keep things from the current year and previous year in your active filing cabinet and archive anything older to a different location, such as a file box stored in the basement or garage. Thumb through old magazines and cut out special articles or inspirational pictures. File them in page protectors in a binder.

5. Laundry and Storage: Take all your own grocery bags back to the store. Leave your recycled cloth bags in your car and you won’t have to hit yourself in the forehead the next time you walk out of your car into the parking lot. How many extra cleaning liquids do you store that you don’t need?

Unloading clutter from your home becomes synonymous with cleansing the clutter from your mind. You will know what is important to you and your family when you cleanse what is unnecessary. Living simply can open doors that you don’t even know exist!

How do you know what is important and what you can live without? Think of these questions. You get to move to Hawaii. It costs $100s of dollars per pound to move and you are limited to X number of pounds. What will you take? Your home is in an emergency situation. You have been given two hours to pack and evacuate. What will you take?You can retire/quit your job NOW if you are willing to downsize and live in a friend’s small guest house. What will you take?Good luck with your editing!

Patti Smith
Show Offs Home Staging and Organizing