A resource for those seeking information on organizing and transforming spaces.
Now that Spring has Sprung
Now that spring has sprung, it is time to start thinking about getting your house in order. Does that mean de-cluttering? Deep cleaning? Maybe both?
Now that spring has sprung, it is time to start thinking about getting your house in order. Does that mean de-cluttering? Deep cleaning? Maybe both?
People tend to get confused as to the difference between a cleaning service and a professional organizer. A common misconception is that they are one and the same. Incorrect. Cleaning is about getting out the mops, sponges, bucket, vacuum, and removing the mold, dirt, pet hair and grime. Organizing is about reducing clutter and developing and maintaining systems to keep your home and ultimately your life organized. So before you start your spring cleaning you may want to consider decluttering, either by yourself or by hiring a professional organizer.
At House to Home Organizing many times we hear people say “all I need to do to get organized is to throw things out.” Incorrect again. Decluttering is not about throwing things out. Decluttering is about the following:
-picking an area of your house you want to organize
-gathering all the like items together
-reviewing all of them
-making decisions as to what to keep, donate, sell, recycle or trash
-figuring out where and how to store what you are keeping (shelving, bins, baskets, drawer organizers etc…)
Sounds easy right? However, for many this can be a daunting task. For example, think about your attic. Years of build-up, and out of sight out of mind items have accumulated. Who really wants to work in the attic reviewing years of keepsakes, holiday décor, gifts from relatives and old papers? This is where hiring a professional organizer can really make an impact.
Closets are another area that can be a big challenge. Switching out seasonal clothing may be a time to ask yourself a few questions. How long has it been since I wore it last? Realistically will I ever wear it again? Is there a reason it has been tucked away hiding in the back of my closet? Maybe it is time to purge and donate. Also, anything with a rip, tear or stain should go to fabric recycling.
Spring is also the time to consider organizing remote areas like the garage. The garage is an easy catch all for accumulation and clutter. Many homeowners end up with multiple tools, excess gardening supplies, buckets of old toys, automobile accessories etc… For example, sometimes there is so much clutter that homeowners end up purchasing multiple tools they already own because they just can’t find the first one. Hence, 10 hammers, 17 screwdrivers, 20 beach shovels and buckets, you get the point. By organizing and purchasing systems like garage shelving and plastic bins you can create dedicated areas in the garage and you will be able to easily find what you need.
Organizing is about time. Something busy home owners do not have a lot of. Hiring a professional organizer will give you a jump start and teach you methods to properly declutter without regret.
If you want to try it yourself here are few tips:
-start slowly. Maybe start in a small area and dedicate 2 hours
-keep a trash bag and donate box nearby (save trips for the end so you can stay focused)
-things you are keeping put in clear plastic bins so you can see what is inside
-label the outside of all the bins (use labels or notes with tape so you can reuse the bin later)
-working with a family member can be difficult. Maybe ask a friend who likes to organize if it is something you don’t want to do alone
- make it fun put on some music!
Reward yourself when done, maybe a cup of coffee, ice cream cone or a new shirt to replace the one you just donated.
Smile and happy organizing!
Guest Post - How To Store Your Golf Clubs At Home
Many of our clients either play golf or have golf clubs in their house. We turned to Jordan Fuller for some storage advice since golf season is almost upon us.
How To Store Your Golf Clubs At Home: 3 Strategies To Reduce Clutter and Free Up Space
We all know space around the house is limited - and finding appropriate space to store golf clubs is no exception to this rule.
There are generally two issues that will occur: finding enough space and making sure the golf equipment is stored safely, so the golf clubs stay in mint condition. Overall, the general consensus is to store golf clubs in a dry room at moderate temperature.
Yet this is often easier said than done: we all know that it can be much more complicated than that, especially if you have a lot of clubs. In this article, we will share our top three tips on storing golf clubs, and how you can make the most of your home’s storage space.
Let us begin with the first one.
Only Store at Home an Optimized Amount of Golf Clubs
The first mindset you should have on golf club storage is that you are only allowed to bring 14 different clubs to a golf course. So, arguably the best way to optimize club storage at home is to first, only purchase and bring home the clubs you will actually need. Yes, some golfers might need different club sets for different courses, but doesn’t mean you need to have over 50 clubs stored at home.
With so much new equipment released virtually every day, it is understandable that the temptation to expand your collection is high. If you do have unlimited budget and unlimited storage spaces, that shouldn’t be a problem. Yet, we all know that’s not the case for the most of us.
So, what’s the optimal club sets we should have (and store at home)? Here is how I will recommend it:
For Beginners/High-Handicappers
A very forgiving driver or a 3-wood, as most high-handicappers can’t hit a driver and they can replace it with an easier to hit 3-wood
7-, 8-, 9- irons
4-, 5-, 6- hybrids to replace the hard to hit long-irons
Putter, a mallet one with plenty of forgiveness
A pitching wedge
For Mid-Handicappers
A driver
A 3-wood
6- to 9- irons
4- and 5- hybrids to replace two long irons
Putter
For Low-Handicappers/Tour Players
A driver
A 3-wood, or you can replace it with a more versatile 2-hybrid
3- to 9- irons
Gap wedge
Pitching wedge, lob wedge, sand wedge
Putter
Store Your Clubs In Your Bedroom
The first places that come to mind to store your golf clubs might be your pantry, your garage, or other dedicated storage spaces. Yet, there are several disadvantages with this practice which make us actually strongly recommend other, more appropriate places around the house.
Our recommendation is to store your golf clubs in your bedroom, a study or other rooms with enough storage spaces you frequently use.
Why? There are three things you should definitely avoid with golf clubs: physical scratches, heat, and moisture.
If you store your clubs in a warehouse or even worse, your car trunk, the clubs can pick up physical dent or nicks from bumping with each other or with other things inside the warehouse.
Heat is also an issue if you are storing your clubs in your car trunk, especially if you park your car outside. Heat can cause the glue under your grip to break down. A garage, on the other hand, often has issues with build-up moistures.
If you have a big collection of golf clubs (which we don’t recommend, see our first tip above), you might also forget some of the clubs stored in your garage or warehouse, since you don’t visit those rooms often.
So, storing your clubs in a room you frequent has two main benefits : first, you won’t forget about them and can check their condition frequently. Second, by having your clubs where you can see it, they can remind you to play more often.
Choose a Proper Golf Bag
No matter where you store your golf clubs, you will obviously need a golf bag to place your clubs (or several, if you have more than 14 clubs). Since we have agreed that storage spaces are limited and hence, valuable, the ideal golf bag is the one that allows you to store as many golf clubs as possible, yet has the least volume.
Here are some we will recommend:
Callaway Golf 2017 Org Cart Bag
A relatively compact golf bag with 12 x 10 x 35 inches dimension and only 5.8 pounds of weight (without your clubs), yet offers plenty of storage spaces and pockets with Callaway quality.
The most interesting quality of the Callaway 2017 Org Cart Bag is the 14-way organization system, complete with full-length club dividers. So, you wouldn’t have to worry about clubs banging with each other during transportation or storage.
A key highlight of the Ogio Golf 2017 Press Cart Bag is how it is very reasonably priced, so it is an excellent choice for those with limited budget. Yet, the bag offers plenty of storage with eight-way organization and full-length dividers.
Regarding compactness, it is only 8-ounces with 10.5 x 13 x 37 inches of dimension. There are also 9 additional pockets to store other golf equipment.
PING Golf Men’s Traverse II Cart Bag
PING is of course, one of the most prominent names in the world of golf equipment, so quality is definitely not a question with the PING Traverse II Cart Bag. As with Callaway Org Cart Bag above, it also offers 14-way organization system, and the full-length dividers are made from air-meshed and cushion polypropylene material able to withstand high impact.
It is still relatively compact at 36 x 10 x 14 inches, but is slightly heavier at 8 pounds. An excellent choice for those looking for a high-end golf bag.
Jordan Fuller is a golf enthusiast who loves to spend days on the green, interacting with other players. For the last 25 years, he's been a key member of the Nebraska golf community, helping and assisting players of all levels near his home course near Omaha. Recently, seeing that many golfers were facing the same challenges, he started his own golf website to help golfers become better players.
Stationary Stationery
From envelopes to greeting cards to old addresses and baby thank you notes we see a lot of paper clutter from stationery
We know we start almost every article with, one of the things we see the most in our clients home is... but there is a reason for that. In general, people tend to have a lot of stuff in their homes and so there are common challenges and trouble areas in everyone's space. One such category is stationery. From envelopes to greeting cards to old addresses and baby thank you notes we see a lot of paper clutter from stationery.
The Pretty
One reason the people keep cards and writing paper is that it is often not only pretty and colorful but sometimes down right beautiful. With that in mind, think about letting go of the generic or plain stationery keeping only the truly special. Think about the total number of cards and letters you send in a year. Maybe it is time to recycle those bent, dirty, out-dated and pieces with missing envelopes.
The Future
People tend to keep cards and paper for aspirational reasons. Whether it be guilt or a sense of longing for simpler times, we see people hang on to stationery as wish fulfillment instead of action not to mentioned a feeling of "should". Once you have narrowed down the amount you have collected over the years, focus on the action. Take a letter or card out and write the address on it and stamp it as step one. Don't worry about writing the perfect message, people love getting things in the mail that isn't junk or bills.
The Kids
Donate your excess stationery to preschools, scouts or after-school programs for craft projects. Again think about how often you send cards and letters to determine the amount you need to keep. Kids love writing on envelopes and filling them with all manner of things. How about teaching children about the lost art of letter writing and personalized thank you notes? Think of the brownie points your little one will get for writing to the grandparents instead of texting.
The Container Conundrum
Our top tips for organizing containers.
House to Home spent this past week unpacking and reorganizing kitchens for our clients. A question that always comes up is where to store plastic containers used for leftover food and lunch prep. Clients complain that no matter how hard they try to keep these items neatly arranged, within a few days they dread opening the cabinet because the containers and lids fall everywhere. Before you put up a hard hat required sign in your kitchen, here are House to Home Organizing's top four tips:
Downsize
It is not necessary to have 100 different shaped containers. You do not need the ones from 1998 which have turned that weird shade of yellow, sport warped lids and have an unusual odor. Go through your plastic containers and pick out the best ones that have lids that fit. Maybe keep 6 of various sizes and shapes. Recycle the rest. You may also consider not keeping inexpensive and easy to come by plastic containers from take out restaurants.
Purchase the Same Brand
For ease of stacking buy one brand of containers that nest into each other. This will free up space in your cabinet and make storage easier.
Within Reach
Store containers and lids in a cabinet which is easy to reach. Many people tend to put their plastic ware in a hard to reach cabinet. Make sure you can reach it easily during and after cooking for clean- up and lunch prep. We even have a few clients who keep their "Tupperware" in the only non-baby proofed cabinet so the little ones have access to non-breakables and can score a win by opening the door themselves.
The Separater
Use larger bins or wire baskets to separate items If you have room in your cabinets. Purchase clear bins or wire baskets to separate lids and bottoms. This way when you go to pick one, they all do not come toppling out.
Want to upgrade? Many people are switching to glass containers. There is zero risk of toxic chemicals and negative impact on the environment. A few brands we have noticed in our clients homes are:
Please note: If you choose to purchase these containers using our Amazon link, H2H receives a small commission designed to help keep our rates affordable.
