For all you iPhone and IKEA lovers, there’s a new mobile application that will make shopping even easier.  It’s called “Swede Shop” and looks something like the image above.  Type in the item name, set a price and dial in the aisle and bin.  You can also add notes, priority or image.  No more need for the mini pencil and scraps of paper - talk about neat!  It only costs $0.99 cents to download.

Have you always wanted to start your own organizing business, but you weren’t sure how?

Did you wonder if you had the time and resources to do it?

Learn valuable insider tips and start networking now with this informative seminar!

Organizing Basics Seminar, Session I

Saturday, September 12th

9 AM – 12 PM

Organized Spaces, Kirkland, WA

This event has passed, but check out our upcoming events page!

So, now that you’ve organized your garage, what do you do with all the odds and ends that were uncovered? Hold a garage sale! Go through the entire house and add to the miscellaneous inventory of things you found in the garage and have a proper de-cluttering day. And make a few extra dollars, too.

Here are a few tips to get you motivated and organized:

1. Set a date and advertise for free. Check out these online resources to post your garage sale:

Garage Sale Time
Craigslist
Garage Sales Tracker
Weekend Treasure

2. Start by going through closets and drawers for clothes, accessories and shoes. Then check under the bed, in your car, even the pantry, for any items that you don’t love, you don’t need and you don’t use. (Note: Don’t underestimate the value of anything - you’d be shocked at what people will buy!)

3. Sort your items into categories. Here’s a popular list of things many buyers look for: toys, camping equipment, craft supplies, books, jewelry, antique or vintage items (such as vases, old plates, salt/pepper shakers), children’s clothing, furniture and appliances.

4. Display things in the most appealing manner. Have a garment rack or clothesline to hang up dresses, coats and shirts. Tie a ribbon around small items that can be sold together, such as utensils, sheets or accessories and price them as a set. Avoid having people dig through deep boxes or kneel on the ground to look at things.

5. Have plenty of change - small bills and coins. Also, recycle all those shopping bags by giving them to buyers to hold their merchandise.

6. Leave Fido in the house. Your dog may be very cute, but he’ll probably get in the way of shoppers and get under your feet. Moreover, don’t forget to put away anything that you might trip on, such as a garden hose, your kid’s bicycle and be aware of any slippery spots on the driveway.

7. Make sure to enlist help. There’s nothing more stressful when you have multiple people asking questions or trying to buy something. There should be one person manning the ‘cash register’ and another person acting as a ‘sales person.’

8. Provide refreshments. Try having a pot of coffee or some donuts as a complimentary snack for shoppers. This keeps people engaged and encourages them to stick around and check out all the goods!

Instead of just a secure spot for your car, the garage often becomes a catch-all for lawn tools, sporting equipment and miscellaneous household items. It’s easy to shut the door and forget about these things once you’re inside the house, especially because these items are usually not used in your daily activities.

However, the garage is roomier than you think. There is a lot of vertical wall space, as well as the ceiling. Here are some innovative tips on how to get organized and save your car from unnecessary dings and scratches.

1. With a few sturdy ceiling hooks, you can hang everything from bicycles to ladders to luggage. Make sure to attach the hook to a rafter for security.
2. A pegboard mounted to the wall gives you multiple options for hanging tools and gives you the most flexibility since you can move hooks around as your needs change. You can take it a step further and outline the shapes of your tools onto the pegboard so that you always know where to place them.
3. Wall shelving is definitely a favorite of mine. Get the bulky items off the garage floor and onto shelves, grouping like items together. For example, place all paint cans in one area, flower pots and gardening items on another shelf, holiday decor on another shelf, and so forth.
4. Consider creating a hobby area by placing a narrow workbench along one wall and keeping items such as your toolbox, craft supplies, paint, etc. within easy reach.
5. Don’t forget the recycling - use stackable recycling bins. Add a hand cart to this equation and you can wheel the entire stack of bins to the curb in one trip.

The kitchen is probably one of the busiest rooms in the house. It’s used for a variety of things - it’s a gathering place, dining room, meeting space, homework station and a place to cook!  Because of this, the kitchen tends to become cluttered faster. Here are some easy tips to keep the kitchen organized and clean:

• Remove anything from your kitchen counters that you do not use on a daily basis.
• Group similar items together in the fridge.  For example, place all the beverages on the same shelf, keep all the condiments together and put all leftovers in one area toward the front.
• For quick access, knives, peelers, vegetable brushes and cutting boards should be stored together in a drawer or cabinet near the sink.
• Dedicate a zone in the kitchen for lunch-making.  This will encourage you to brown bag it to work and school.  Stock it with lunch boxes or small recycled handle bags, sandwich bags, wax paper, a thermos, spare change for the vending machine and small microwaveable containers.
• Move on to gathering all the items that do not belong in the kitchen. Put all these items into a basket. (Important Note: Do not stop working on the kitchen and get distracted by taking these misplaced items to their homes.  Instead, if you have a helper, send them off to place items in their proper place or wait until later in the day.)

Recycling paper, glass and aluminum has become part of our daily routines now - but what about those old electronics? Every time we get a new cell phone, mp3 player or laptop, what happens to the used ones?  Like many people, you probably have a pile of unwanted computers and gadgets gathering dust in a closet or garage, but these items can be recycled, too. Just make sure to do it the right way. Here are some great online resources that I recommend:

www.ecyclewashington.org

www.seattlegoodwill.org/donate/donateitems/ecyclewashington

www.your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/index.asp

1800recycle.wa.gov

“How to Network Effectively and Organize Your Job Search Efforts”

Career Search Seminar

Tuesday, August 11th

9 AM – 12 PM

The Norton Building, 801 Second Ave, Seattle

This will be a 3 hour, 3 topic job search seminar about networking and organizing your job search.

Register now or call 206-399-8712

 Sponsored by Woodland Recruiting, Puget Sound Business Journal and Innovatively Organized.

How much time do you spend reading, responding to and deleting unwanted or unnecessary emails?  Do you get stuck on an email thread about topics that don’t require your attention?  What about the emails from friends or coworkers that CC: you and everyone else in your address book?

Well, here’s an interesting (and humorous) article about how one company decided to tackle the cluttered email inbox.

Read it and tell me what you think!