NAPO WDC Blog

by Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

We all have a collection (or two). Even me!

From my perspective, it’s NOT OK to collect, for the sake of just having things. But it’s OK to have a collection. What’s the difference, you ask? In my mind, a collection is a group of items you gather together and take care of and it’s things you love. To collect is to keep things without meaning or usefulness.

A collection is a select number of any one type of item that you take pleasure in owning. 61% of us accumulate items of a similar nature (coins, toys, trading cards, jewelry) according to a 2022 survey by Magnify Money by Lending Tree. Being a responsible collector means taking care of your collection, especially if you want it to retain value over time.

Here are 5 things you need to do to take care of a collection:

Organize

A detailed inventory is a good tool when you need to assess the value of your collection. Whether you create a spreadsheet of information or use a service or app, it should include a description of each item, with measurements and flaws, and note where you purchased it and what you paid. Some inventory applications that you may want to check out are Artifcts, HomeZada, Sortly, or Pinventory. to name a few. There are many of them out there, so do some research to find the right one for you.

Accurately Value

You should know the general worth of your collection. An easy way to do this is to search for recently completed transactions on eBay for the same or similar items. If you want to work with a professional, find an appraiser through the Appraisers Association of America or the American Society of Appraisers. Expect to pay a flat or hourly fee to work with an appraiser.

A few things to note

• Know the difference between an appraisal for fair market value or replacement value.
• You may want to get items graded, which means evaluating the condition each item is in.

Proper Storage

Where you store your collection is important. Look for a cool, dry, and dark place. But, your basement may not be the best storage option. The humidity in some basements may cause mold or mildew, so run a dehumidifier to protect your items from damage. Even if you want to display your collection it’s important to preserve their value when displayed. There is a great book called Saving Stuff, written by Don Williams, a Smithsonian Senior Conservator that covers how to preserve a wide variety of collections.

You should also store receipts and the original packaging, since these may make your items more valuable. so consider how much space you will allot for storage when starting a collection.

Keep Clean

Be very careful with how you clean your collection. Again, a little research may go a long way to not making a mistake with cleaning products that could degrade your items. Even refinishing and repairing an item could lessen its value if you want to sell it in the future. Now, if you want to use the item, then go ahead and make it functional. I say enjoy those things that you love and make more memories around them.

Plan for the Future

Who will inherit your collection in the future? If one of your children loves the same kind of collecting you do and wants your collection, then count yourself lucky. Most of the younger generation isn’t interested in the same things. either way, your heirs will benefit from all the information you have gathered about your items. Make sure you note in your estate plan which person should be gifted your collection. Write down why it’s important to you, what they might do with it, and where/how they might liquidate the collection.

What Not To Do

Don’t stress over the value of your collection. The going price of anything fluctuates with time, so it can be unpredictable. My advice to you is, if you think your collection is valuable and you are saving it for your kids, take the time to sell it now. Don’t leave that project to someone else.

Bottom Line

Care for items while they are in your possession, but if they no longer bring you joy then sell, gift, or donate and let someone enjoy it.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl.

by Anna Novak

Simply Downsized

In my experience as a Washington, DC-based downsizing specialist, I’m frequently tasked with planning, arranging and overseeing a wide range of services that may be needed to complete a major home transition. I almost always bring on Professional Organizers to support my clients with projects that are too large or too specialized for my clients to manage on their own.

When you think about it, a major downsizing move is the Granddaddy of all organizing projects!  Sorting, selecting, organizing; these tasks are among the most challenging and overwhelming aspects of a move, especially when the client has lived in their home for decades.

Washington-DC area downsizers are fortunate to have so many wonderful options and specialties represented in our local cadre of Professional Organizers.  Over the past six years, I have called on them for a wide variety of skills and support, including:

Photo Organizing and Document Scanning: Helping clients organize and scan their photos and important documents before their move.

Family History Preservation: Preserving family history by organizing and safeguarding heirlooms, documents, and memorabilia.

Wardrobe Downsizing: Helping clients sort through their wardrobe and choose the best options for fit, function and their future lifestyles.

Hobby Area Organization: My clients love their hobbies! Organizing and sorting supplies helps them continue to enjoy their favorite activities in their new, smaller space.

Furniture Selection: Measuring furniture and evaluating which pieces will fit into the new space and have the most value for my clients after they move.

Kitchen Organization: I love cooking and kitchens, but they are a big job to organize, pack and unpack. Organizers help my clients both before and after their move, ensuring everything is functional and accessible.

Cataloging Items for Auction: My clients sometimes choose to catalog and sell their items online or at a local auction house.  An organizer can help with the task of creating accurate descriptions and tracking the details of auction items. 

Home Decluttering for Market: Sometimes, a home sale can complicate an already busy and overwhelming time.  Professional Organizers can make a tremendous impact when it’s time to declutter a home for market.  

Move-Day Assistance: Helping with move-ins, including setting up essential areas like the bathroom and bedroom for the first night in a new place.

Unpacking After a Move: Another significant benefit of Professional Organizing is assistance with unpacking and setting up belongings when older adults move into a senior community or smaller residence. Unpacked moving boxes and packaging materials can easily overwhelm a small apartment, making the task of settling in seem impossible.

Storage Unit Clearing: Many of my downsizing projects include addressing items that have been in storage, either onsite or offsite. Organizers can complete this type of sorting quickly and efficiently, saving my clients a lot of money and effort dealing with things they no longer use.

There are countless scenarios where a homeowner could benefit from the services of a Professional Organizer, whether they are downsizing or not. I’m thrilled to have the resources of my local NAPO-WDC chapter for all of the variety and expertise they bring to projects small and large.

For more information, contact Anna Novak.

by Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

Never forget your passwords again! Wouldn’t that be great? With this simple formula, you can do it.

It’s so simple, so secure, and easy to remember.

Follow the steps below for a simple way to create passwords for you and your family.

The first thing you want to do to create a secure password is to make up a sentence that you can easily remember.  How about this:

We like to read paper books at night.

Secondly, take the first letter of each word in the sentence to start your password. (In this example I replaced the word to with the number 2 and the word at with @ sign.)

We like to(2) read paper books at(@) night.

It looks like this:

W l 2 r p b @ n

Thirdly, think of the websites you’d like to use. Let’s try Amazon. Use the first three letters of Amazon’s name.

Your password would look like this:

Wl2rpb@nAMA

You have now created a password specifically for Amazon’s website.  So simple and so easy!

You can easily create a different password for each website you visit, making them easier to remember. Isn’t this a simple way of creating your passwords? Try it out!

 

Here’s another tip:

If you need to change your password you can do so easily by using the same sentence and placing the three letters from the website in front of your created password. Or you can change your sentence. The choice is yours, and again it should be easy to remember.

 

Enjoy this quick tip on how to create a secure password from Basic Organization.com.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl.

by Kruti Naik

We Organize

Overcoming the paralysis that comes from striving for perfection involves recognizing that starting and making progress are more important than having everything perfectly aligned. By adopting these strategies, you can build momentum and develop a more productive approach to achieving your goals. Remember, the journey is often as valuable as the destination, and taking the first step is the key to making meaningful progress.

Here are a few tips for Embracing Imperfection and Taking Action!

Shift Your Focus to Action: Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Set Clear, Achievable Goals: Adopt a “Minimum Viable Product” (MVP) Approach:
Develop a “Good Enough” Mindset: Create a “Starting Ritual”:
Practice Decision-Making:
Use Time Limits: Embrace the Learning Process:
Seek Feedback and Support:
Reflect and Reevaluate:

Quotes to Inspire and Guide

Final Thoughts

Remember, starting is often the hardest part, but once you begin, you’ll find that each step forward builds momentum and confidence. It’s about finding balance between planning and action and allowing yourself the flexibility to adapt and learn along the way. Embrace the journey and keep moving forward—your progress is what matters most.

For more information, contact Kruti Naik.

by Diane Greenhalgh

Tiny to the Max

I love organizing, but organizing comes natural to me. I realize for many people organizing can feel overwhelming. Here are 5 pro tips for keeping your cool as you declutter, organize, and create your happy place.

Realistic not perfection

We've all seen those "Pinterest perfect" homes on social media, but the truth is, they’re not realistic. Unless, of course, you've got a housekeeper on hand. Don’t set yourself up for failure – aim for what’s realistic for you and your household to maintain. Allow for life to happen with all its joys and its messes. You want to enjoy your life and focus on what’s important.

Go at your own pace

You don’t have to do each step in one day. Do what you have the time or energy for. Schedule what’s right for you and keep chipping away at it, even if it’s just 15 minutes at a time.

Sit when you can

You make the best decisions when you have the energy. Keep fueled and hydrated and sit when the task allows. For instance, you could sit while sorting items from a drawer or while organizing a category into a bin.

It’s going to look worse at first

As you empty and sort things out, your space is going to look worse. Focus on your vision and keep going because it’s going to be worth it in the end.

Stand your ground

Once you’ve organized a space, keep it tidy. Don’t wait until all the areas of your home are done until you get in the habit of maintaining them. You don’t want to lose the progress you’ve made.

Get more tips for avoiding overwhelm with the Setting Yourself Up for Organizing Success Checklist freebie.

For more information, contact Diane Greenhalgh.

by Heather Nickerson

Artifcts

Artifcts thanks Sarah Reeder, Artifactual History Appraisal, for her contributions to the following article.

You may have one or many collections, intentional collections and accidental collections. Part of the fun of collecting is keeping track of it: Knowing what you have and what you’re still hunting for, what is sentimental vs. valuable, and what is okay to sell some day versus you’d prefer to pass down to someone special.

We know a thing or to about accidental collections. Try out our free checklist available here.

If you were a professional archivist, librarian, or appraiser, you’d have a ready tool in your pocket to help manage your collections. It’s called a finding aid. But guess what? As you Artifct your collections, you are implicitly leveraging the best of finding aids, but in a friendly form that all can enjoy and benefit from. 

Here’s your peek inside the world of archivists where we show you how finding aids and collection management are made easy and meaningful with Artifcts!

What Is a Finding Aid, and Why Should You Care?

Unless you are a collections professional (archivist, librarian, appraiser…), the concept of a finding aid is likely foreign to you. For the longest time at Artifcts we even mistakenly referred to them as finding keys. Oops!

A finding aid is exactly what it sounds like: A tool that helps you locate items within a large collection in a fast and efficient way. A finding aid is a guide that describes the contents of an archival collection. A well-designed finding aid makes quick work of determining the topical relevance of any collection. After all, what good is a collection if discoverability hinders locating and using elements within the collection in the future.

Many of us have experienced the feelings of dread and being overwhelmed upon contemplating many boxes of inherited items that probably have something important contained in them but what and where? Imagine if you had a finding aid that told you exactly what was important and where you could locate it!

This is the magic of what finding aids do.

To a large degree, information within a finding aid is standardized per guidelines from the Society of American Archivists, “Describing Archives: A Content Standard,” better known simply as DACS. Standardization means a professional could work with or for any gallery, library, archive, or museum (aka GLAM) and their collections without much difficulty. They might simply display the information differently than one’s accustomed to.

A finding aid would have information such as: reference code, title, date, extent, name of creator, description, dates, and location. Does that list look familiar? If you Artifct, it should… 

For those of us who didn’t go to Library Science school, in our daily lives we probably do not want to think about taxonomies, metadata, bytes of storage, or even finding aids. We want to enjoy and share the meaning behind the items we’ve collected and ensure the stories and value behind them live on!

Enter Artifcts: Solving Age Old Problems of Finding Aids for Every-Day Collectors 

What we created at Artifcts is the solution to several age-old problems of finding aids in an individual and family-friendly fashion. And this means great things for you all!  While finding aids are brilliant tools for professionals, they are disconnected from how most of us describe and catalog the ‘why’ of our collections. We need more multitasking support in our lives.

Here’s how you can use Artifcts to preserve the history and the value of your collections beyond the constraints of traditional finding aids.

Use those QR codes.

If you were to work with a professional appraiser, archivist, or collections manager of any type, they will likely offer as part of their services a description of the collection and list organizing the inventory within your collection, a finding aid of some sort. But how do you link that list to your physical collection? At Artifcts, you can print a QR code or use Artifcts QR code stickers to link the physical and the digital.

An Artifcts QR code unlocks the story and value!

Record your stories.

Move beyond “scope notes” and “meta data” inherent to the archivist’s expertise – “This is a 19th-century {name of item}” – and breathe life, context, and personal meaning into the objects in your collection, e.g. “This is what Great Great Grandma brought from France when she moved to New York. And I’m giving it to you now.”  

Artifcts offers the options to share your story, indicate what you want to do with items in the future, and supply critical other information like where on earth you’ve stored the item in your home or elsewhere and the supporting documents (receipts, appraisals, and more). 

Connect the dots.

We typically describe each Artifct you create as connecting the dots, because only you know how photos of those specific items relate to shape a story or history. But we help you go a step further, too. You can use our @ feature to cross reference one Artifct with another, tying together pieces of a collection and pieces of a story that others may not otherwise realize relate.  

Simply type @ as you add the story or description to your Artifct to link to other Artifcts.

Leverage your community.

Let’s not forget the value in sharing and collaboration to learn more about items in your collections. Through Artifcts Circles and the option to give ‘Edit’ permission to other paid Artifcts members, you can crowdsource information from your loved ones and experts alike to capture important details about your collections that may add historical and family history information as well as increase the value, too. 

Preserve what is.

Add the photos, videos, and original documents you have to your Artifcts. There’s a spot dedicated to securely preserve each as is. No compression. No conversion. What you upload is what you can always download again, too.

In our spring 2024 series finale of Evenings with Artifcts, our expert guests shed light on the 'why' and 'what' of collections.

Ensure that if you work with an appraiser or other collections manager in the future, they provide documentary support through Artifcts, so that you can protect and share the value of your collections with friends and family as well as knock off those “to dos” with your insurance company, financial planner, and estate attorney. 

For more information, contact Heather Nickerson.

by C. Lee Cawley

C. Lee Cawley

July is National Family Reunion Month, a time to reconnect with loved ones and create lasting memories. But planning a large gathering can feel overwhelming! Fear not, with a little organization, you can transform reunion planning from a stressful marathon into a joyful sprint.

 

The Planning Phase - Laying the Foundation for Fun

1 - Communication is King: Create a central hub for information sharing, like a dedicated email address or online forum. Send digital invitations with details like dates, locations, accommodation, and directions. Online tools like shared calendars and collaborative documents will help keep everyone on the same page.

2 - Name Tag Know-How: Designate different colors for family branches.  Add space for nicknames, fun facts, or hometowns to spark conversation. Have extras on hand for last-minute arrivals.  

3 - Conquering the Culinary Conundrum:  Harness the family's culinary talents! Create a potluck sign-up sheet to ensure a diverse spread and encourage guests to indicate dietary restrictions. Delegate tasks like appetizers, drinks, and grilling among trusted family members. Plan ahead for leftover storage to avoid waste and allow second helpings at home! 

4 - Catering to All Ages: Schedule a mix of activities for different age groups and interests: board games, crafts, scavenger hunts for the young ones, or hold a family talent show. Create quiet relaxation areas for older relatives or parents with young children.  Consider hiring babysitters or organizing supervised group activities for young children.

 

Event Time - Making Memories Together

5 - Embrace the History: Create a visual family tree with names, ages, and maybe even photos. Set up a space to display family heirlooms and photo albums.  Encourage guests to bring their contributions and share stories.  Designate someone to capture photos and videos throughout the event for a lasting record.

6 – Activities for All:  Plan a mix of activities throughout the reunion.  Think: water balloon toss with sponges instead of balloons, a beanbag toss competition, or charades. Award silly prizes and celebrate participation over winning.

7 - Delegation is Key: Delegate tasks throughout the event.  Assign someone to manage the music, oversee the games, man the grill, pack up leftovers, refresh the ice, be the clean-up crew, or snap photos. This distributes the workload and ensures everything runs smoothly.

8 - Embrace the Unexpected:  Leave room in the schedule for impromptu storytelling sessions or games. The most cherished memories are often born from unexpected moments of connection.

 

Afterward - Keeping the Spirit Alive

9 - Share the Memories: Create a shared online album or video montage to capture the reunion's highlights. Post it for family members to relive the fun!

By following these tips you can ensure your family reunion is an organized and joyful event filled with lasting memories.  So get ready to reconnect, reminisce, and create new family traditions – your stress-free, well-planned reunion awaits!

 

Bonus: Reunion Supply Checklist!

Sunscreen (if outdoors)

Hand fans (if outdoors)

Bug spray (if outdoors)

Hand sanitizer

Trash bags

Plates, cups, utensils (if not provided at venue)

Condiments and serving platters (for potluck dishes)

Food storage containers (for leftovers)

Coolers (for drinks and leftovers)

Games and sports equipment

Chairs (if not provided at venue)

Flashlights or lanterns (for evening events)

Toilet paper (especially if using outdoor facilities)

S’mores supplies (if having a bonfire)

Cash for any unexpected expenses

For more information, contact C. Lee Cawley.

by Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

We all have a collection (or two). Even me!

From my perspective, it’s NOT OK to collect, for the sake of just having things. But it’s OK to have a collection. What’s the difference, you ask? In my mind, a collection is a group of items you gather together and take care of and it’s things you love. To collect is to keep things without meaning or usefulness.

A collection is a select number of any one type of item that you take pleasure in owning. 61% of us accumulate items of a similar nature (coins, toys, trading cards, jewelry) according to a 2022 survey by Magnify Money by Lending Tree. Being a responsible collector means taking care of your collection, especially if you want it to retain value over time.

Here are 5 things you need to do to take care of a collection:

Organize

A detailed inventory is a good tool when you need to assess the value of your collection. Whether you create a spreadsheet of information or use a service or app, it should include a description of each item, with measurements and flaws, and note where you purchased it and what you paid. Some inventory applications that you may want to check out are Artifcts, HomeZada, Sortly, or Pinventory. to name a few. There are many of them out there, so do some research to find the right one for you.

Accurately Value

You should know the general worth of your collection. An easy way to do this is to search for recently completed transactions on eBay for the same or similar items. If you want to work with a professional, find an appraiser through the Appraisers Association of America or the American Society of Appraisers. Expect to pay a flat or hourly fee to work with an appraiser.

A few things to note

• Know the difference between an appraisal for fair market value or replacement value.
• You may want to get items graded, which means evaluating the condition each item is in.

Proper Storage

Where you store your collection is important. Look for a cool, dry, and dark place. But, your basement may not be the best storage option. The humidity in some basements may cause mold or mildew, so run a dehumidifier to protect your items from damage. Even if you want to display your collection it’s important to preserve their value when displayed. There is a great book called Saving Stuff, written by Don Williams, a Smithsonian Senior Conservator that covers how to preserve a wide variety of collections.

You should also store receipts and the original packaging, since these may make your items more valuable. so consider how much space you will allot for storage when starting a collection.

Keep Clean

Be very careful with how you clean your collection. Again, a little research may go a long way to not making a mistake with cleaning products that could degrade your items. Even refinishing and repairing an item could lessen its value if you want to sell it in the future. Now, if you want to use the item, then go ahead and make it functional. I say enjoy those things that you love and make more memories around them.

Plan for the Future

Who will inherit your collection in the future? If one of your children loves the same kind of collecting you do and wants your collection, then count yourself lucky. Most of the younger generation isn’t interested in the same things. either way, your heirs will benefit from all the information you have gathered about your items. Make sure you note in your estate plan which person should be gifted your collection. Write down why it’s important to you, what they might do with it, and where/how they might liquidate the collection.

What Not To Do

Don’t stress over the value of your collection. The going price of anything fluctuates with time, so it can be unpredictable. My advice to you is, if you think your collection is valuable and you are saving it for your kids, take the time to sell it now. Don’t leave that project to someone else.

Bottom Line

Care for items while they are in your possession, but if they no longer bring you joy then sell, gift, or donate and let someone enjoy it.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl.

by C. Lee Cawley

C. Lee Cawley

Believe it or not, June 25th isn't just another summer day!  It's also Half-Christmas, also known as “Leon Day” (LEON is NOEL backward) a fun and quirky way to mark the halfway point to the holiday season.  While the snow might not be falling and carols might not be playing, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate Christmas in June!

1.     Plan Your Perfect Holiday: 

Six months might seem like a long time, but Half-Christmas is the ideal opportunity to start planning your ideal holiday season.  Do you want to host a tea party for friends?  Or do you dream of a festive getaway to a winter wonderland?  Use this time to send a “save the date” email, research travel options, brainstorm gift ideas, and create a realistic budget, The earlier you plan, the less holiday stress you'll face in December!

2.    Get a Jump on Greetings: 

If sending cards brings you joy, why not jump ahead of the curve and order your holiday stamps online during Half-Christmas?  You can find a variety of fun and festive designs that will add a touch of cheer to your holiday mail.  Plus, by getting your “Forever” stamps early, you'll avoid the last-minute scramble closer to the holidays.

3.    Reflect and Refine: 

Half-Christmas is a great time to reflect on your past holiday traditions.  Think about what aspects of the season bring you the most joy – the annual cookie baking marathon, the festive carol sing-along, seeing The Nutcracker or the charity drive you participate in.  Use this time to list your favorite traditions and drop the activities that seem like chores.

4.   Cut the Christmas Card: 

Speaking of which, perhaps you've always sent out traditional paper Christmas cards, but don’t enjoy it anymore.  Just stop! This year, send your greeting on Valentine's Day instead, or consider sending out digital greetings with photos or even embedded videos.  It’s a great way to save money on paper and postage, while still spreading holiday cheer.

5.    Change Gift Giving Expectations

Perhaps you are all out of ideas of what to give?  Instead, suggest that your extended family enjoys a special outing together instead of exchanging gifts?  Or that only kids under 10 get gifts. Or do “Secret Santa” and only purchase one gift for your crowd of friends. Making the suggestion NOW gives everyone time to get used to a new idea.

6.   Budget NOW for Spending Later: 

Do you get caught up in the season and overspend? Don’t forget to make room in your budget - not just for gifts but for special food, events, travel, donations, and more. If you plan now and earmark a bit each month you won’t get caught out with huge bills in January.

7.    Add in Something New: 

Half-Christmas is also a fun opportunity to plan a new holiday tradition.  Maybe it's sending letters to the troops, or creating an advent calendar filled with self-care activities instead of candy.  Think about what would fill you with joy and do it!

So, there you have it!  Even though December might seem far away, June 25th offers a unique opportunity to celebrate Half-Christmas and get a head start on planning a joyful and stress-free holiday season.  So grab a summer drink, crank up some carols (if you dare!), and start planning.

For more information, contact C. Lee Cawley.

by C. Lee Cawley

C. Lee Cawley

We've all been there: staring into a cluttered room, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of "stuff."  Maybe it's a messy desk, a chaotic kitchen, or even a closet overflowing with unworn clothes. The solution seems simple – “clean” it up! But before you grab your cleaning supplies and go to town, it's important to understand the distinct roles of four key concepts in conquering clutter: declutter, clean, organize, and tidy.

Let's break them down:

1 - DECLUTTER

Imagine your wardrobe.  Editing the excess is always the first step.  What needs to be banished?  Be honest –will you wear that too-tight skirt or ever replace a random button from the big bag you’ve collected over the years?  Don't be afraid to donate, sell, or recycle what no longer serves you.  Remember, less is often more when it comes to creating a functional and inspiring wardrobe or workspace.

2 - CLEAN

Once the decluttering step is complete, it's time to brandish disinfectant wipes, vacuums, and dust cloths. When you have a clear surface, nothing on the floor,   and empty drawers after your decluttering edit, it’s an ideal time to clean before you put things back. However, cleaning isn't magic – it can't make clutter disappear.  A clean space overflowing with stuff is still a cluttered space, so that is why decluttering first is key.

3 – ORGANIZE

Think of organizing as creating a designated home for everything you've thoughtfully kept during the decluttering phase. This is where systems and strategies come in.  Invest in shelves, bins, and drawer dividers to categorize and store your belongings efficiently. The goal is to create a user-friendly system that minimizes clutter build-up in the future.  Think of it as creating a flow in your space, where everything has a designated spot and is easily accessible. Being “organized” means you can find what you need when you need it!

4 - TIDY

Tidying is the final piece of the puzzle – the daily or weekly habit that ensures your organized space stays that way.  It's putting things back in their designated spot after use.  Did you try a dress on but choose a skirt? Hang the dress up, don’t leave it on a chair. This simple act of daily tidying prevents clutter from accumulating and maintains the clear order you established during the organizing stage.

Why the Order Matters

Treating these activities as separate steps ensures a more efficient and effective final outcome. Imagine cleaning a cluttered room – you might move things around to vacuum, but the clutter is still there.  By decluttering first, you eliminate extra work, making cleaning, organizing, and tidying a much smoother and more satisfying process.

So, the next time you face a cluttered space, don't feel overwhelmed. Embrace the power of decluttering, cleaning, organizing, and tidying.  By tackling them in this specific order, you'll transform chaos into a haven of functionality, one room, closet, or pantry at a time!

For more information, contact C. Lee Cawley.