NAPO WDC Blog

A number of chapter members' tips appeared in this Redfin article. Check it out.

February 20, 2020

Whether you’re used to living in a small space somewhere like New York, or you just recently downsized, you’ve probably quickly learned how crammed it can feel if you aren’t carefully utilizing every inch of space. But with a little purging and reorganizing, it’s easy to make your home look and feel more spacious. To help, we talked with organizing professionals to find out their best space-saving solutions. 

1. Empty out everything first. It’s tempting to start organizing with everything still in its place, but there are always advantages to organizing by clearing the space first. You will find some things that were hidden and will be able to make better decisions about what to keep or donate. Plus, while everything’s out, it’s a great time to dust off shelves or vacuum out the closet. – Bring Peace Home, Stefanie Wyres

2. Less is so much more, especially when it comes to the clothing inside your closet. For my Denver clients who live in smaller homes with smaller closets, a closet edit is the very first step we take! Chances are, you only like and wear about 20% of your wardrobe. After that, I highly recommend thin velvet hangers to save space inside your closet. – The Style Shop, Sandi Mele

3. Create zones in a larger space, like a studio apartment, so it feels like each area has its own function.  Zones can be separated by a screen or curtain or by arranging furniture in groupings that section of the space.  Free-standing room screens start at about $40; a curtain, rod, and hooks can start at about $50. – Let’s Get Organized, Gayle M. Gruenberg

4. Store your placemats and clean napkins UNDER your sofa cushions. It keeps them nice and flat and is perfect for meals on your coffee table as well. – Simplify You, C.Lee Cawley

5. Use dual-purpose furniture. Multipurpose is the name of the game for tiny living, including furniture. Avoid large, bulky items, and instead aim for flexible, movable options, such as ottomans with storage that can be used for seating, a coffee table, or footrest. Or a folding table with wheels that can serve as a desk, dining table, or craft area. Do a search on Amazon for “folding table with wheels,” and you can see all the fun possibilities! – Priority Focused Organizing, Diane Greenhalgh

6. Store off-season clothing in a clear container at the top of your closet or use a flat container on wheels that will fit under a bed. – Simple Solution Organizing, Adele Tusson-Gross

7. Organize your things in a way that supports your habits. Know your routines and how you function then use that knowledge to decide which very specific things you need and where those things will live. To maximize efficiency in a tiny space, only keep exactly the things that you use in your daily life and always keep those things in the space where you use them. – Create Infinite Space, Jessica Borelli

8. Think vertical. Go to the ceiling with storage and function. Add a wall-mounted desk with mounted shelving above. Maximize the vertical space with four or five narrow bookcases that hold labeled bins and baskets, books and notebooks, and framed photos and keepsakes at the top. – Professional-Organizer.com, Ellen Delap

9. If you have a small kitchen, buy multi-purpose appliances. Get a blender that can also work as a food processor. If you have a steamer that you can cook rice in, there is no need to have a rice cooker as well. This way you cut down on your inventory and double your space. – Mission 2 Organize

10. Think outside the box. When it comes to small kitchens, think “outside the box” (or kitchen). Store less-used items in a basement, garage, or even a guest broom closet. – Call 2 Sisters

11. Invest in a good looking step ladder. This way you can make the most of all your vertical space and access it easily. Most step ladders are a bit utilitarian looking so take the time and find one that fits with your design vibe. – Merchandised Maison, Shelley Malik

12. Organize hallway closets. Hallways are the first place in people’s homes to make an impact so this is one area that you need to maximize the usage of available space by ensuring you only keep what’s needed there. As a KonMari Consultant, I like to organize by category – if you look at what’s in your hall it’s mainly coats, shoes, and bags. However, if you just tidy the items in the hall you’ll find that similar items from around the rest of your home migrate back within a couple of days. To prevent this you need to store just the items that are used every day in the hall and find a home for the remaining items elsewhere in the house. – A Life More Organised, Sue Spencer

13. Don’t let your interests turn into your clutter.  Like to read? Keep only the current book on your nightstand and invest in a small bookcase for the collection.  For hobbies that have parts (think quilting, LEGOs or photos) purchase multiple-use containers. They will serve you in many ways when you interested in the current project wanes. – The Zen Organizer, Regina Leeds

14. Maximize space in a closet, cabinet, or drawer. This can have a major impact in a small house. By getting rid of stashed-away items you no longer need or want, you create space and a potential new “home” for things you treasure. – Light House Organizer, Suzanne Lindsey

15. Reduce Paper Clutter. Think twice before printing information from the internet or from your computer. Develop effective systems for filing on the computer and have backup systems to ensure that your files are safe. – Amazing Spaces, Renée Ory

16. Remove packaging from pantry items. Living in a small home means creating meals in a small kitchen, often with little pantry storage. To maximize space, remove as much packaging as possible from pantry items, like snacks and bars, and put them into a simple basket or container. This low-cost tip alleviates the potential for partially empty boxes taking up valuable space as food items are used up, makes it easy to see what you have on hand and not buy duplicates, and maximizes available space. – Simplify Studio, Lisa Smith

17. Purge clothing from your closets. Every time you wear something, turn the hanger around. If by the end of the season there are hangers left without having been turned, you’ll know you haven’t worn that piece the whole season. It’ll help you weed out clothes you may not even realize you haven’t worn! – Sage Organization & Design, Jolin Polasek

18. Use benches rather than chairs in your kitchen area. This can save a lot of space and the dining table can be used as an additional kitchen counter space. – Find Serenity Space, Jane Rice

19. Understand our personal approach to clutter. When decluttering a small space it’s important we look at the practical aspects of the process. However, we first need to take the time to understand and overcome the thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that are behind our gathering of clutter and our inability to declutter. True freedom and peace of mind come from learning to let go of what’s weighing us down on all levels. This inevitably brings unexpected, exciting transformation to all areas of our lives as well as our wardrobes, homes, and workspaces. – Declutter Therapy, Breda Stack, Declutter Therapy Programmes and Professional Certifications

20. Follow the 3P’s. When organizing anything, use the 3P’s of organizing: Pair like items together; Purge what you no longer love or use and Place the items in the best storage based on the frequency of use. – Enuff With The Stuff, Maria White

21. Over-the-door storage. My favorite tip is using a Container Store Elfa door rack on the inside of closet doors. They work great inside a linen closet door and are the perfect place for a hairdryer and all sorts of toiletries. Plus, it’s not permanently attached to the door so you can take it with you when you move. – Balanced Spaces, Susan Kousek

Over-the-door storage can also hold purses, shoes, socks, or even a hamper. Here are some products that I have strategized for various clients:

• Umbra shelves and hamper 
• Meant for shoes but also good for socks & underwear
• Another shoe organizer but with vertical pockets
• Umbra towel rack (great for airing out clothes) – One to Zen Organizing, Jill Katz

Originally published by Redfin

Carolyn Thompson, Real Estate Search and Sale, LLC

February 14, 2020

Many people enjoy the convenience of shopping online.  To help your clients make room for their new purchases, and to deal with empty shipping boxes, inform them of a free and easy way to donate household items and clothing using Give Back Box®. The donations will make a difference in their community and recycling the shipping boxes, or any other cardboard box, helps the environment too.   

It’s as simple as printing a free shipping label and dropping the box off at UPS, FedEx or USPS, or request a pick up.

More information is available at this link:  https://givebackbox.com/works

Tasha Valentine,  The Tidy Type, LLC

January 13, 2020

A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a new client who was at her wits end with the clutter in her home. After a brief introduction, I asked what led her to call and listened intently as she told me her story. Nothing that she said was out of the ordinary, so I continued to go through my script and we scheduled a date for an organizing session. She asked if we could make it a few weeks out and I didn’t have an issue with it, but given her enthusiasm during our call, I was curious to know why. I asked and she said “I need to tidy up before you get here because I don’t want you to see my house like this.”

Feelings of shock and confusion entered my head and I was speechless. All that I could think at the moment was “why would anyone want to organize before the organizer comes over?” After a few seconds of silence, I let her know that organizing before I came would not allow me to effectively help her. She didn’t seem to understand why, so I provided her with a few examples:

·        When you hire someone to paint a room, do you paint before they come?

·        When you hire someone to prepare your taxes, do you prepare them before they come?

·        When you hire someone to clean your house, do you clean before they come?

If she tried to organize before I arrived, I wouldn’t be able to assess the real situation and help her truly solve any organizational challenges she was facing and it would be counterproductive to the process. I went on to let her know that my goal was to help her become (and stay) organized. Once she understood where I was coming from, she asked “well then what should I do until you get here?” I let her know that the best way to prepare would be to think through her daily routine and note all of the areas that could be improved if they were organized and be ready to share that with me when I arrived. Other than that, all she needed to do was sit back, relax, and envision what her new life would feel like in an organized home.

The Tidy Type LLC is a whole home organization company who believes that everyone thrives when they are organized! Proudly serving Southern Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia.

NAPO conference recordings are free for our chapter members.

Title: Show Me the Money! Money Mindset & Pricing Strategies
Number: CR 2-217
Presenter: Lisa Montanaro
Review by: Diane Greenhalgh, Priority Focused Organizing

There are so many ways to create a pricing structure and Lisa outlines the pros and cons of the various pricing models. She also discusses policies to establish and how to overcome price objections from clients.

I particularly liked:

• Creating a pricing pyramid of different products to allow clients to come in at the level they can afford and bringing them up the pyramid.
• Establishing a money mindset and how to go about a pricing increase.
• The different pieces of creating packages.

Submit your review of a conference recording to membership@dcorganizers.org.

Carolyn Thompson, Real Estate Search and Sale

December 16, 2019

Recently I met with a client to sell her home.

My client said she’d like to sell in about a year. She said that she wants time to get her house ready and prepare her kids emotionally for the move. Currently, the house is a great fit for her family and in a convenient location. Her sons enjoy where they live. It helps them stay grounded and moving would be a difficult transition.

It’s essential to understand why someone is considering buying or selling a home so I may provide prudent guidance.

In this scenario, my potential seller said that her home was too much to manage. She was overwhelmed with yard maintenance, home repairs, and lack of organization.  I lined someone up to manage her landscaping. My real estate company, Real Estate Search and Sale, provides an extensive plan for property repairs and maintenance. Now thanks to Silvia Baleras, Your Life Simplified, LLC for introducing me to NAPO I now have a plethora of specialists available to, manage, organize, stage and perform dozens of additional services to help my clients. This is beneficial to my clients whether they elect to stay in their current home or transition to a new home.

My company, Real Estate Search and Sale does not charge to create plans for maintenance, repairs, cleaning, and staging.  It is our goal to help people be as happy as possible in the space they already have, and only move when necessary.

Mari Millard, Two Maids & A Mop

November 27, 2019

When the vacation is really over

Recently, my spouse and I enjoyed a couple of weeks in Europe enjoying great food and a break from a busy life.  While our eight-year-old twins and two doodles were excited for our return, our home looked like a frat house.  Even though Grandma was home with the children and animals, basic cleaning seemed to be an afterthought.  There was dirt and dust in places that I’ve never seen before.  The baseboards and corners of the floors had accumulated a variety of foreign objects.  The appliances were covered with food smudges and fingerprints.  As the owner of a residential cleaning company called Two Maids & A Mop, I’m used to seeing homes in all types of conditions.  However, it’s usually not my own in such a sad state. Typically, we have teams clean on a regular basis which helps keep up with the wild inhabitants but we didn’t while we were gone-big mistake.

I’ve learned something very important regarding travel.  From now on, I’m going to schedule a cleaning to coincide with my return.  I want to walk into a freshly clean home. I want to see the beautiful vacuum tracks on the carpet and mirrors free of toothpaste spray.  I want to have fresh sheets on the bed ready for a deep restful sleep.  Also, there are occasions when I have a pet sitter stay at the house while we’re away.  I’m going to start the same practice of a pre-return clean for those circumstances as well.  For most of us, the vacation has to eventually end but you don’t need to return to a complete disaster. 

Two Maids & A Mop is a women-owned residential cleaning business servicing Montgomery County, DC and NoVA and we are unique in that we utilize a Pay for Performance Plan wherein our maids are compensated based upon your rating each and every time that we clean your home.  We also believe in giving back to our community and we proudly partner with Cleaning For A Reason to provide free cleaning to women battling cancer.  Call or email to get a free estimate. 703 214-2424 or alexandria@ineedamaid.com

NAPO conference recordings are free for our chapter members.

Title: The Operations Manual - Run Your Business Like A Badass
Number: CR4-704
Presenter: Alexis Boccanfuso of Clutterphobe
Review by: Jill Katz, One to Zen Organizing

As we know, having an organizing business means that we both organize for clients and run a business. We need to do both to be successful. Some call it working “in” your business vs. working “on” your business.

This conference presentation focuses on being a business owner. Here are 3 nuggets I learned from the presentation:

• If you are running your own business, an important component of success is having an operations manual with SOP’s or Standard Operating Procedures.
• SOP’s have 3 main components: Function such as payroll, marketing, client intake; Tasks within that function such as “How I get paid” or “How do I follow up with leads”; & Step-by-Step procedures of how that task gets done.
• These SOP’s are important in creating consistency with each function and task. It also ensures that anyone can look at it (ex. If you are on vacation, hire employees) and maintain it to your standard.

Submit your review of a conference recording to membership@dcorganizers.org.

November 15, 2019

Diane Greenhalgh, Priority Focused Organizing

November 15, 2019

• Check out https://www.ready.gov/kit for a list of emergency supplies to pack.
• Include a flashlight in bedrooms and other areas so you and your family can find your way around if the power goes out. Some flashlights you can plug into the power outlet to keep them charged and they will light up when the power goes out so you can find them.
• Put emergency cash in a secure but easily accessible spot that you can access even in the dark. If power and/or the Internet are down you won’t be able to use your credit cards. Include enough for your family for lodging, food, gas and other supplies for at least a few days.
• Create an emergency folder that includes copies of your license, passport, account information, medications list (including doses and doctor who prescribed them) and other important documents and information.
• Charge your phone and other electronics regularly, especially overnight. Some people charge their phone when they are getting ready in the morning or when they get to work. If an emergency happens in the middle of the night you won’t have the ability to use your phone for very long. You want to have as much battery life available as possible. Also, charge it in the same spot every night so you don’t have to go searching for it.
• Create one person as your point of contact for friends and family to get updates from. You will have other things on your mind and won’t have the time or phone charge to update everyone. Let the contact know where on social media you will post updates for everyone when you can.
• Store memorabilia in waterproof totes where they are easily accessible so you can grab and go. For electronic information, it is a good idea to have one of your backups on the cloud just in case something happens to your home.
• Keep travel supplies stocked and ready to go, including a power strip with USB inputs. What you would use for a trip you will also need if you are forced to evacuate.
• Don’t forget supplies for the fur babies. Don’t just include food and medication. Be sure to include a leash, bowls, and other items. Include a list of hotel chains that allow pets.

Diane Greenhalgh, Priority Focused Organizing

October 31, 2019

Earlier this month, a few of us from the NAPO-WDC chapter joined our Membership Director J.J. Jackson at an American Association of Daily Money Managers (AADMM) lunch and learn event. Daily money managers like J.J. are financial organizers who help with bills, budgets, and record-keeping, and bookkeeping.

The presenter was Matt Paxton, an organizer out of the Richmond, VA area who formerly appeared on Hoarders and is now preparing for a January 1 launch on PBS of Legacy List with Matt Paxton. He gave a lively presentation on downsizing ideal for seniors called "Nobody Wants Your Stuff".

He says he gets clients in the right state of mind by performing an exercise. He asks them to pretend their house has caught fire and they have two minutes to gather what they will take with them. After two minutes it is revealing what they are able to find, or rather not find.

Here are his 10 downsizing tips.

1. Include everyone to participate in the cleanup, including the grandkids. Do it as a family.
2. Do a 10 minute sweep 5 nights per week to keep it up.
3. Unpack bags right away, particularly groceries and travel suitcases.
4. Give every item a home. Employ "equal in, equal out".
5. Perform a 4 pile sort: Donate, Sell, Trash, Keep. Put the Keep pile across the room so you have to get up and walk over to it.
6. Distribute legacy items, like heirlooms, now.
7. Avoid punting the decision of who gets what to the kids to avoid disputes. For those children having to split the estate, a tool to use is Fair Split so everyone gets a fair share of the value since each item is not equal to others.
8. Donate, donate, donate, but not Goodwill or other places where you (or your client) shop. Try to find places that actually put the products in the hands of people in need. Keep a donation box in your trunk, not in the house. If you have to carry it out you're less likely to do it.
9. Be realistic about what you will use. Turn hangers around and get rid of those not switched after a year. Get rid of expired food.
10. Pare down photos and paper by putting a shred box in the trunk of your car, shutting down the stream of mail coming in, getting rid of any photos from your backlog that aren't of people, keeping 20 photos per year and writing the stories on the back, using frames like Little DaVinci dynamic frames that you can put your children's artwork in and switch out each week then each month put the best one in memorabilia.

Thanks to J.J. for inviting us to such a fun event!

Gina Weatherup Chantilly Mediation and Facilitation 

October 28, 2019

I’ve been talking to people a lot recently about empathy – what it is, what are our reactions to it, how can it be helpful – or not.

Many people believe empathy is a good thing, but do not generally give it a lot of thought, particularly when it comes to professional relationships. Whether you work primarily in an office as part of a team, primarily with clients, or primarily on your own, acknowledging that emotions are a part of life and being open to sharing compassion can be hugely beneficial – yes, even at work.

Compassion & Empathy – What’s the Connection?

Empathy is when we feel, or understand, someone else’s emotion. Compassion is one of the possible responses to empathy; in fact, it’s the goal. When we can see that someone else is in any type of distress – dealing with an emotion we typically think of as “negative” like anger, sadness, grief, disappointment, etc. – compassion is what we’re feeling if our response is to help them, or to fulfill their need.

For example, if I’m mediating between two parties, and one of them is so distressed she bursts into tears, I may or may not be able to accurately name her emotion. It could be anger, grief, or sadness. Regardless of naming the emotion, if I feel an impulse to offer her some comfort – be it a tissue, words of comfort, or placing my hand on her shoulder – that’s compassion.

When we share both empathy and compassion with people, we feel a deeper human connection. And that’s great! Feeling connected to other people is essential to human happiness in every aspect of our lives. In fact, in our professional lives, it can:

·      Improve productivity and collaboration.

·      Foster employee engagement.

·      Cultivate positive and longer-lasting client relationships.

·      Increase profits.

Yet traditionally we have been taught that emotions do not belong in the workplace! This is partially because of the long history of gender stereotyping – men don’t have emotions, after all, and it’s men who mainly work outside the home, right?  [insert eyeroll emoji here]

Of course we know that statement is not true. While it does still affect us, though, I think there’s a bigger issue holding us back from embracing emotions, empathy, and compassion in professional contexts. Namely, it is so hard to know what to do with all those messy emotions! Wouldn’t it be easier if we could just ignore emotions sometimes?

It might be easier, but it does not work – because ignoring emotions does not do anything with them. By definition, emotions are still there, influencing our behaviors and our thoughts.

So what can you do with emotions at work?

·      Embrace them!

o   If you feel comfortable with it in any given situation – and that will change in different situations – let the emotions flow. Use them to feel a deeper connection to the people with whom you work.

·      Be open to discussing them.

o   If you see someone struggling with some emotion, ask them about it. Or you can try to name it – gently, asking if you’re right, no one likes to be told they should be feeling a certain way – but we all love the feeling of recognition when our emotions are understood by others.

o   Also, you can simply state your own emotions as part of everyday professional conversations.

·      When needed, reframe the situation, or reschedule the conversation/tasks.

o   This is a big one for the more difficult emotions that may come up because of things that happen outside of our professional lives. A break-up, a death, a difficult time with a loved one – the emotions connected to these events do not just disappear because we’re meeting a client or sitting in a cubicle.

o   Reframe it:

§  First, you need to make sure you understand what’s going on. So, ask questions, gently and with a true desire to understand – not to fix or correct.

§  Second, reflect back what you’re hearing – this may include naming an emotion, or simply restating the words you just heard.

§  Third, check-in. Ask if you’ve got it right! Sometimes we may repeat the very same words back to someone, and they may alter what they said. And if they don’t, then you have helped them feel heard and understood.

§  Finally, you get to reframe – and I do not mean put a positive spin on it! Instead, reframing means you offer an alternate perspective. Suggest or ask how the other person causing these emotions might be feeling, or ask if they can think of an alternate path forward.

§  Sometimes, reframing is not an option – the death of a loved one is one situation which comes to mind here. Simply acknowledging the loss and the deep emotions and sitting silently with the person grieving may be the best way to express compassion.

o   Reschedule:

§  One of the reasons we avoid emotions at work is that they can interrupt work. Yet, the best thing to do if work just truly cannot be accomplished that day is to take a break! Come back with more focus another time – in 20 minutes or an hour or the next day.

All of these options take practice, in part because how you use them will change in nearly every situation.

To learn more or schedule a group training, contact Chantilly Mediation and Facilitation today at gina@chantillymediator.com or 703-951-6647.