A resource for those seeking information on organizing and transforming spaces.

Ben Soreff 6/4/18 Ben Soreff 6/4/18

Time to De-clutter

Life is stressful. We are all constantly juggling many tasks. Children, aging parents, work, financial commitments, exercise and healthy eating, to name a few. Trying to manage it all effectively and keep your living spaces organized can be daunting. After a long busy day the last thing most people want to do is come home and clean and organize their home. Usually we want to put up our feet and just relax. However, letting things slide for a long time is not great. Clutter can pile up quickly. Once it gets out of control it takes longer to fix, and time is something none of us have to spare.

Here are some signs that you may need to start de-cluttering:

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Anxiety

Coming home makes you anxious. When you enter your home you should feel calm and stress-free. If it feels more like a junk yard and less like a peaceful relaxing environment it is time to take charge.

Unpacking

You still have boxes from a previous move that have not been unpacked. You meant to unpack them 5 years ago but never had the time. Now you may be moving again and wish you could remember what was in them. Keepsakes? Photo’s? A box of half-full cereal or canned food? (gross).

Lost

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You can never find what you are looking for. Whether it be a battery, clean underwear, headphones or earbuds, chargers, car keys, you should be able to find things with ease. When one can’t find something they tend to buy it over and over again. At House to Home Organizing we go into living spaces which often have a multitude of items like batteries, tape, wrapping paper, and pens. Over buying is usually due to people not being able to find what they already own.

Socializing

Friends prefer you to come to their house or meet at a restaurant. Spaces that are filled with clutter are uncomfortable to relax in. You may have gotten used to the clutter, but other people are uncomfortable. Having a clean and organized living and entertaining area will help your friends and family relax and have fun.

Need help? Contact a professional organizer. Professional organizers are trained to help people de-clutter without stress. Organizing properly takes time. A professional organizer can help you organize quickly and efficiently, so you will have more time to spend with the people in your life that you love. Additionally, you will be able to find what you are looking for and relax with friends in your clutter free space.

Ben Soreff 5/22/18 Ben Soreff 5/22/18

Guest Post - Organization Hacks for a Kid-Friendly Kitchen

Cooking with kids is an excellent way for spending a great family bonding time. It also allows you to teach them about healthy diet and help them overcome being put off by the mere sight of broccoli. Not to mention that it can really be fun. However, kitchens can be a dangerous place with all the sharp objects, electricity, hot stoves, etc. To be able to include the kids in the kitchen, you will need to make some changes in the kitchen organization. Here are some tips that will help you accomplish that.

Deal with the height issues

There are a lot of things kids can’t reach in the kitchen. On the other hand, there are a lot of things kids can reach, but they shouldn’t be able to, especially if they are dangerous. The trick is to make the safe items accessible to them and to store the unsafe items outside their reach. Deal with the safety issues first, and make sure the knives and other sharp objects are stored on the top shelves, or that there is a safety lock on the drawers and shelves where you store them. As for the other part, empty out one of the lower cabinets, and stock it up with kid-friendly items (e.g., plastic bowls, cereals, granola bars, etc.). This way, your kids will be able to prepare their breakfast, snacks, and lunch boxes.

Reorganize your fridge

They will need some milk to prepare a bowl of cereal, right? Create one kid-friendly zone in the refrigerator, which will include containers of milk and yogurt, cheese sticks, vegetables, and fruits. This keeps them from rummaging through the fridge and eating some of the ingredients you have planned to use for meal preparation.

Choose kid-friendly appliances

Small kids shouldn’t be allowed to use the oven or the stove until they reach a certain age, but they can handle some smaller appliances. Equip your kitchen with small KitchenAid appliances, such as stand mixer or food processor, which can be used by children if you previously show them how to handle them. Soon enough, your little ones will enjoy helping you whip the cream for their birthday cake or prepare pesto for the pasta night.

Give them a workstation

Your kids will need some place to work without having to stand on chairs and risking to fall on the floor. Kitchen tables are usually a convenient place for that. Plus, if you move your operations there, your kids will be able to see what are you doing, and learn from you. If this is not an option, you can get an appropriate-sized mini table for them, and fit it into the available corner of the room.

Label things

Cooking with kids and organizing the kitchen afterward can turn out to be quite a mess. A few hours later, you will probably find oregano in the drawer with spoons and knives. To prevent this from happening, you can label things, such as seasoning, flour, etc., and put matching labels on the drawers and cabinets. If your children cannot read yet, you can always use photographs or drawings.

Compartmentalize the drawers

When the kids have trouble finding the things they need in the drawers, it can go two ways: they will interrupt your work process and ask you to get it from them, or they will turn your drawers into the picture of chaos. Neither of these two situations works in your favor. You can fix that by making your drawers more organized with compartments. For this project, you will need nothing more than a few plastic containers. Put a few of them into the drawers and categorize them.

Make it easy to clean

Easy maintenance is vital for kitchens used by the entire family, especially with toddlers and school kids. You need to choose surfaces that are not porous. While natural stone looks beautiful, it is also prone to stains. Quartz countertops could be the best option if low maintenance is your priority. As for the flooring, a high-end solution like hardwood is very durable and resistant to spills and impact. Laminate is a more affordable option with similar features.

Make it easy for kids to clean

Children should be taught to clean after themselves at an early age. But how can they learn to clean after themselves if they can’t even reach the sink? A bathroom stool could mend this problem. Also, the dishwasher is quite easy to use, and with some tips from you, your kids could become your little helpers. You just need to make sure the appliance is installed somewhere between the lower cabinets.

Cooking with your kids doesn’t have to be stressful. It can be turned into a joyful experience, but only if you make your kitchen safe and convenient for them. These hacks will help you accomplish that.

Will Sandford is a Sydney based wood architect, blogger and contributor on interior design and ecology blogs. Besides that, he is also interested in home improvement combined with green technology. In his spare time, Will enjoys surfing and rock climbing. He is also a regular contributor to SmoothDecorator. Connect with him on Twitter.

Ben Soreff 4/19/18 Ben Soreff 4/19/18

The “Perfect” Playroom

Kathleen shares her thoughts on creating the “Perfect” Playroom.

Kathleen shares her thoughts on the “Perfect” Playroom.

Real Image from a Professional Organizer's playroom

Perfect and playroom are two words, in my mind, that should never be grouped together and if they are than you may not be using the room correctly. I would love to have a picture perfect playroom like you see in magazines, but they do not exist if you have actual real-life human children playing in them. I believe playrooms should be used and even messy. However, it is the ease as which items can be put away that should command your focus. Everything should have a home and if there are multiple people who do the putting away- there should be labels. Toys should not be hidden or most likely they will stay hidden and then forgotten. Toys should be easily accessible and in turn easily put away. Shallow shelves, clear containers without lids when possible. I also love me a good theme, have a dress-up area, arts & craft area, and an area for dramatic play.

I set my playroom or play area up so if the situation arises, usually this means someone decides to stop by unexpectedly, I can literally “toss” items away and off the floor in an instant.

As an organizer and a mother of two small children, the most common statement I hear is “your home must be so organized”. My answer? I’m a mom, it’s as organized as I can get it and for as long as they let it stay that way. On any given day our playroom looks like a toddler tornado just hit it. As much as I love having it look”pretty”, I also love (yes I know - the horror of a pro organizer stating this) seeing such a disaster. It tells me my kids are being kids and having a blast playing with all those clutter inducing toys that my family and friends purchased for them. It makes me smile. What might make it different than other homes though is I also smile knowing there are proper homes for all the toys and there is a system in place that I or anyone taking care of my kids and/or home can rely on. I organize for my children but more importantly for me - so I can find things, easily put things away, and also teach my kids how to put things away properly. Will they always do it - no. It is often a struggle and of course frustrating. Kids learn through example and surprisingly they do love being able to find their toys with ease.

Make clean up a game - time them or race them. Show them that putting their toys away can be easy- they will catch on quickly. My children know exactly where their toys live. Do they put all their toys away, all the time - of course not, but they try (in their own way). At 3 and 6, I feel like I win half the battles. Stay strong care givers and let your children play!

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If you need help setting up your “perfect playroom”- contact H2H anytime.

You can also check out our Amazon store for more great toy storage ideas as well.

Ben Soreff 3/28/18 Ben Soreff 3/28/18

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.