collections Archives - Getting it Together

Found Money

What would you do with an extra $85,000.00?

What would you do with an extra $10,000.00?

Every time I declutter or downsize a client’s home, I find money.

It has been as little as two pennies and as much as thousands.

Check out this video on Found Money by: Getting It Together

No two jobs are the same. That is one of the things I love about my profession. Some jobs require me to sell items for my clients. Check out these hot items that went in a flash. It is so interesting to see what sells fast and what doesn’t. Found money for the clients.

For more pictures and videos follow me on social media.

And in the meantime, check out www.gettingittogether.ca to book your free over the phone session.

By organize|2021-05-27T15:59:54+00:00May 27th, 2021|Home Organization, Organization Tips|0 Comments

Collections VS. Clutter- are they the same or different and how to tell them apart

Did you start the collection or did someone start it for you?

Is the collection something that you love to look at?

Do you use the collection?

Did the collection happen by accident and then get completely out of control?

Check out this short video on Collections VS Clutter and then read on to find out the difference.

Collections and clutter are 2 different things.

Clutter is an untidy collection of things where as collections are several “like” items intended for display or investment. A collection can be untidy if it is not stored, displayed or cared for properly.

* Is this collection something you started? In the case of Mary. NO! Her parents thought it was a good idea for her to have an owl in her office. Then a friend and then another friend. Never once did my client buy herself an owl. She did not start the collection nor did she ever intend to have an owl collection. This is important to note.

* Do you like the collection? My client thought it was ok to have one or maybe 2 owls in her office however by the time I started working with her she was not happy with the takeover of owls. They were everywhere and it was looking too cluttered. This is where a collection starts to become a problem. Another client of my inherited a salt and pepper shaker collection. She had at least one hundred pairs and only used one!

* What to do with the collection? In the case of Mary she was ready for a change in her office. She had enjoyed the owls for many many years. We decided to keep her top 3 favorites. The one from her parents and 2 other neat looking ones. The rest we put in the hallway of the university with a sign that said “free”.

* What happened next? The interesting thing is that all the people walking past her office door thought she was leaving the campus. They did not understand why all of a sudden she wanted to get rid of the owls. It made them a little uncomfortable at first until they heard she was just going for a change.

All the “free’ owls were gone by the end of the day. They each got a new home in several other offices. Mary can go visit her owls any time she likes!

* How to stop a collection. If you no longer like the items you are collecting (or someone started collecting for you) or if they have taken over, it is time to put a stop to it. This can be a little delicate especially if family and friends have always bought you something to go with your collection. It is an easy gift giving idea for them and now what will they do? You will need to let EVERYONE know that you are no longer collecting XYZ. Instead you would prefer they give you consumable items or donate to a charity of their choice in your name. Let them know you are downsizing. This might even give them permission to start downsizing too.

Some collections can be sold on EBay, Craig’s List or at consignment stores. Some collections can be passed down to other family members. Unfortunately some collections end up in the land fill. Be careful what you start to collect. Be mindful of what type of collection you start for others. Is it something you will enjoy for years, does it have a purpose or value? Once it starts to take over, become a dust collector or not serve you any purpose it is time for it to go.

Check out these two pictures of collections nicely displayed and enjoyed by the owner.

I like to collect interesting people, memories and cash! How about you?

Hoo Hoo Hoo do you know who has not had their FREE 15 minute phone consultation?

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www.gettingittogether.ca

By donnap|2020-06-07T20:52:35+00:00October 12th, 2016|Home Organization, Travel Organization|0 Comments

Estate Planning Made Simple

Personal estate organizing starts at the time we become an adult. Even if you think you have nothing of value there is still the question of your final wishes. Even if you think you have nothing there is still your bank account or your possible employment benefits etc.

We all know there is no escaping death, however we believe it will never happen to us. When we hear of a famous person’s demise we are usually in disbelief thinking that somehow they are exempt from death. And when it is a person close to us we go into shock, grief and sadness.

This is all real but somehow feels surreal.

Talking about death and dying does not mean it will come sooner. So why is it that we avoid the topic?

There are so many easy ways to be organized for your passing. This in turn will lessen the burden on your friends and family.

Imagine transitioning with grace.

Check out this short video on estate planning made simple and then read on for the Getting It Togethers Top 5 Tips.

Tip 1: Have a secure place for all of your digital passwords. Even if you use an online service like www.onepassword.com your loved ones still need to know how to get into that site.

Keep a copy in your safety deposit box.

Survivors need access to

Cell phone
Computer
Social media accounts
Home alarm with instructions on how to work it and the pass code.
Hidden spare keys and list of people who might have spare key to your home or vacation property.
Bank Accounts
Online accounts like banking, direct deposits, PayPal etc

Tip 2: Our stuff is less important to others. Are you saving stuff for your grown children? Do you even know if they want it or not?

I have heard of people having a family dinner where each person can claim certain heirlooms by placing a sticker on the bottom of the item with their name on it.

Or you might have special pieces of jewelry that you want to go to certain people which you will make note of in your will.

More has lost its appeal.

Less represents freedom.

Tip 3: Making special requests for your remains. Do your family members really know your final wishes?

Does everyone agree on them?

It is so important to have this in writing.

Advanced Planning- non legal organizing

Funeral, memorial service, celebration of life
Organ donation plan
Cremation or burial
Obituary ( be very careful about identity theft when publishing)
Eulogy
Asset Distribution
Estate Directory – friends, family ( have an up to date list of all their names and numbers)
List of Doctors, lawyers, financial planner, minister, accountant, insurance agent, employer, godparents, neighbours, kids school, babysitter, and daycare. Be sure to update these lists as things change in your life. I suggest reviewing this information once a year.
phone company
banks
credit card companies
volunteer organizations you belong to
Safety deposit box (with location of key) one way to insure smooth sailing is to have your bank acct and safety deposit box in joint name with one of your survivors.
Anything else you can think of that your survivors would need access to. Like passport, birth certificate and SIN # etc

Tip 4: Legal Essentials

Will
Power of Attorney
Representation Agreement ( living will)
Cash/life insurance, all financial documents
Business Succession Plan (if you own your own business) listing names of employees and their numbers, any contract workers or suppliers.
Any outstanding loans/alimony/child support

Tip 5: In order to process a registration of death for vital statistics and to process a death certificate, the funeral home will need the following

The deceased persons full legal name including maiden name if female
Date of birth
Date of death
Birthplace
Social insurance number
Health care number
Fathers full name
Mothers full name
Full name of surviving spouse
Occupation and for how long
Religious affiliation
Was the deceased a military veteran? This is important to have this information on file.

I am wishing all of my readers a long, happy, healthy, successful life.

When you do pass on, where will your affairs lie in the spectrum between chaos and order?

Please let me help you and your loved ones by making this transition smooth.

PS: Contact me today for a free 15 minute phone consultant on estate organizing. I’ll share with you your first next step.

By donnap|2020-06-07T20:52:36+00:00March 15th, 2016|Estate Planning, Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing Finances, Organizing to Move, Tax Organization, Time Management|0 Comments

Downsizing Your Memorabilia

Are you a sentimental kind of person?

Have you saved everything and I mean everything from your children’s past?

Would you like to get a handle on your memorabilia?

Check out this short video for some very quick simple tips on downsizing your memorabilia.

and if you like it please click the” like” button and then pass it on to your friends and family.

Then read on for Getting It Together’s Top 3 Tips on downsizing your memorabilia.

We all go through different stages in our lives. At one point you may have kept everything that had any sentimental value to you. Then as time moves on you may have thought that some of this “stuff” was holding you back. Or maybe like me you were forced to downsize and decided that you were not going to move all of your memorabilia with you yet again.

How many of us really even have the extra time to go through our memorabilia boxes? The only time I ever have is when I was getting ready to move.

Oh ya, I hear you. You are waiting until you retire or until you are in a senior’s home and then you will go through it all. I have yet to meet a senior who has any more time now then when they were working full time. Funny how that works isn’t it. Well that is because activities fill the time we allot them. You have 5 minutes to tidy up your kitchen before guests arrive and you can get it done. If you have all day you might procrastinate a little. This is human nature.

Tip: 1 Have one medium size rubber container per person in your household. That is the limit of stuff you will save for them or for yourself. If the container gets full then it is time to go through it and pull out some less important items. You will see as time goes on how certain items do lose their priority.

Tip: 2 Ask yourself the purpose of keeping each item. Is it sentimental? Is it from a family member who really wanted you to have a certain item? Is it from a vacation? If you do not have a concrete purpose of keeping the item then it is time to ask yourself why. Why am I keeping it?

Tip: 3 Keep your memorabilia box up high on a shelf. You do not want it to get water damage if you happen to have a flood in your basement of crawl space.

How about you? Where do you stand on the sentimental stage? Love to hear from you in the comment box below.

Enjoy your precious memorabilia items. I sure do.

PS: Did you know I offer over the phone coaching services? If you would like to live more on purpose and passion or would like a better handle on setting boundaries then please contact me for a FREE 30 minute discovery session.

Go to www.reclaimsession.com to book your session now.

By donnap|2020-06-07T20:52:36+00:00November 18th, 2015|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Travel Organization|0 Comments

Organizing your make-up: Find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less

R applying Makeup-5 Most of you know I come from a cosmetic background. With well over 3 decades in the business I thought it was time to share a few of my trade secrets. Like most of us, putting on our make-up is a habit. One day rolls into the next and before long we realize we have not cleared out or organized our make-up for some time. This is not a good thing.

Here are a few of my top tips for organizing your make-up. You’ll be able to find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less and be up to date.

Tip#1 Pump bottles. Whenever possible use cleansers, moisturizers and foundations that come in pump bottles. This saves time. No more opening the containers morning and night. Simply pump out what you need. It is also more sanitary as your fingers are not touching the open caps.

Tip#2 Brushes. One good set of brushes is all a gal needs. My favorite is the MaryKay brush set because it comes in a nice roll –up container. This is especially handy when traveling. Good brush sets will last many years. Wash them once a month in a little shampoo and conditioner. Allow to dry overnight. Toss out all old, used sponge tip applicators and broken brushes.

Tip#3 Colour cosmetics. This includes eye shadows, liners, lipsticks and blush. Dump out your cosmetic bag, drawer or basket. Know your limit. How many items do you really want and need? It is safe to say that 3-4 eye colours will cover your basic needs. Toss the ones you never use and ALL purchasing mistakes. Come on, we all have one or two of those in our bag. The shimmery gold eye colour that you thought you HAD to have. Toss ALL lipsticks you are no longer wearing. The ones with just a little left in the tube, the FREE ones that are not your colour and the outdated ones. Keep your favorite 3-4. Do the same with your liners and blush. The thing is we wear 20% of our make-up 80% of the time.

Tip#4 Storage. Pick one place to store your make-up. Do you like to keep it all in a cosmetic bag, a basket or a drawer? The more places you have to store cosmetics the more likely you will spread to those areas. This is not a good thing. I keep all my items in one small drawer in the bathroom. I also like to have a travel cosmetic bag ready to go at all times. I put all my “almost finished” eye colours, blush and liners in there.

Tip#5 Toss. How many bottles of half used creams, lotions and potions do you have? Do you go onto the new before using up the old? People have the best of intentions of using up those partially used bottles. They don’t. Do yourself an organizing favour and toss them out. OR promise me you will use them up before buying new.

Do you have lots of unopened make-up items, cosmetics or toiletries? Please donate them to your local women’s shelter. They would be happy to receive them.

Keep your “look” up to date with regular consultations. Many cosmetic counters offer this service. So do home based cosmetic companies. Find a consultant who knows your style and one that you trust.

I love organizing cosmetic drawers, bags or baskets. Be sure to contact for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss your make-up needs; your storage concerns and solutions. I’ll even give you the latest make-up trends.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00January 26th, 2015|Organizer|0 Comments

How To Organize Kids Artwork – what to keep and how to store the rest

Kids artwork Do you have the next up and coming Picasso?

Do you wish you could keep every piece of artwork your kids bring home?

Do you keep all the art thinking that your kids will want it when they are grown up?

Human nature is such that we all think pretty much the same on this topic. We feel that every piece of artwork is the BEST piece. We feel that we want to keep all the kids artwork because it would hurt their feelings if they saw it in the recycle bin. We also think they will want it when they are grown up … is this so they can show their own kids? Do you have your artwork from your childhood? What are you doing with it? How many times have you moved it? Is it filled with dust and must?

I do not know about you, but I do not have one piece of artwork from my childhood. I am perfectly okay with that as I see other children’s artwork and know that mine would have looked almost identical. Plus, what would I do with 10 plus year old artwork? I really do not feel any less than by not having my artwork.

I do have a vivid memory of a piece of artwork that I did that won me $5.00. It was of a dragon. It was big and bright and colourful. The memory is all I need.

Take a quick moment to watch this video on How to Organize Kids Artwork:

Then give these simple 5 tips a try on how to organize your kid’s artwork.

Tip#1: Designate one wall or hallway for your kid’s artwork. Hang a long piece of string on that wall that looks like a clothes line but attached to the wall. Hang clothes pins from the string.

Tip#2: Each time your child brings home a piece of artwork hang it from the “clothesline”.

Tip#3: At the end of each week take a photo of your child standing beside his/her artwork. These pictures make really cool screensaver slideshows or a Pinterest board!

Tip#4: At the end of each week take all the art down off the string. Along with your child (or not) decide on ONE piece of art from that week that you will keep. The rest can be recycled, used as wrapping paper for the next Birthday party, made into greeting cards for family and friends, or turned into party invitations. You can even send the artwork off to grandparents or aunts and uncles.

Tip#5: At the end of each month you will have 4 pieces of your children’s finest Picasso. Along with them or by yourself select ONE of your favorite to store in a keepsake box. The other 3 get tossed, or repurposed as mentioned in tip #4. At the end of the year you will have 12 pieces of art. Now it is time to get ruthless again and select ONE piece that will be saved in your child’s memorabilia box or you may choose to frame this one piece or you may choose to put it in a bound book. You can also add the weekly photos that you took to this book or scrapbook. I have seen really cool bound books of kid’s artwork. If you are interested in this please contact me and I will give you the contact information.

I would love to see your children’s artwork. Please send me a picture or two. Also, I would love to hear your comments. Please fill in the box below with your great ideas on organizing your kid’s artwork or any questions you might have.

Have you set up a Pinterest account? If not please feel free to contact me. I’ll give you the highs and lows in a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss whether you need a Pinterest account. What you can pin and why you might like to have a Pinterest account.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00December 15th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments

Downsizing Seniors

Downsizing Seniors Are you the adult child of an aging senior?

Are your parents still in the family home? Is it time to downsize them?

Are you a senior wanting to downsize?

Seniors are our largest growing demographic. You may be one of them or you may have parents that fit into that category.

My mom is 79. Fortunately she is still able to live in the family home however that does not mean that is the best idea. Some experts have the theory that it is better to downsize while you can still make all of the major decisions and your health is still really good. I would have to agree.

All too often I work with clients who are not capable of downsizing. Their grown children are so busy with their own lives that they are not able to help either.

Check out this short video on downsizing seniors. Plus Getting it Together’s game plan.

1. Have a family meeting to decide when a good time to start downsizing is. My Aunt did this and came up with the age in which she felt was appropriate to move into something smaller. She has given herself a couple of years in which to plan for and execute the move. In the meantime when her grown children are over they work on a certain area of the house. For example, they did cookbooks the other day. This was a funny one because my cousin asked my Aunt which cookbooks she was still using to which my Aunt replied “none, I do not cook anymore”. Lol

Ok so that was easy. All the cookbooks went to the second hand book store.

Next in line were the volumes of encyclopedias. The money people have spent on encyclopedias to realize that now a day’s Google does it all for us. Off to the used book store they went.

2. Decide who will help you or your aging parents with downsizing. Chances are your grown kids have a young family of their own. Their time may be very limited. Is it best to hire a professional organizer to help with the downsizing?

3. Where do you want your items to go? This is always a tricky question. I know of people that again have a family meeting. They get each person to put their name on the back of any items they would like once the downsizing starts and/or when the aging parents pass away. Are there collections that need to be sold? Are there family heirlooms that need to be preserved? Are there other household items that need to be donated or tossed? This is where I come in. I will sell, donate, or toss items for my clients. I think if people know their items are going to a good place they are more likely to part with them.

What items will be needed in the new smaller living space? This might be a tougher question to answer until you see the new smaller living space. Once you do, you will be able to decide what stays and what goes.

4. When should you start downsizing? TODAY! If you have allowed yourself enough time you can break this downsizing project down into bite size pieces. Try not to leave this project to the last minute. Change is hard on most people. Downsizing is one of the biggest changes a person might do in their life. Embrace it.

Would you like a FREE session over the phone? Contact me today to get yours. We can discuss your downsizing situation and come up with some solutions in order for you to move forward right away.

Have you had any experience with downsizing a parent or have you yourself recently downsized? If so please leave some helpful comments in the box below.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00November 3rd, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Self Care Organization|0 Comments

Organizing Family Photos

Organizing family photos does not have to be an arduous task as long as you ask yourself these key questions.

What is your ultimate goal with organizing family photos?

Who would like to inherit all your family photos?

Would you like a family photo album for each family member or just one communal album?

Have you asked your family members if they would like a family photo album or is this something that you think they would like?

Do you make a hard copy or do you put each family member’s photos on a disk?

Do you organize your album by event or chronological?

Please ask yourself these questions and get clear on your outcome before starting the project.

The reason why I am getting you to really analyze these questions is because putting together family photo albums can be tricky. The upside is it can also be loads of fun and very rewarding.

I am going to assume you want to put together a family photo album for each family member. I’ll also assume that your pictures are in hard copy format not digital.

Check out this short video on Organizing Family Photos:

Use these top 5 Getting It Together tips to move forward with organizing family photos.

Let’s say you have 2 children. One we will call Tim and the other Sue.

Tip#1: Take a big white envelope and label it TIM. Take another big white envelope and label it SUE.

Tip#2: Take one small pile, small box or one old photo album. Divide the pictures between each big white envelope. Do not worry about anything else at this point. Just the sorting and dividing of prints between the 2 envelopes. If both children are in one picture you could scan it and put the photo in each envelope.

Tip#3: Take each envelope and do a ruthless purge. Toss any photos that are out of focus. Toss any where the eyes are closed or beat red. Toss any photos in which you have no memory of taking it, do not know where it was taken and or do not know who else is in the photos.

Tip#4: Next take your envelope of pictures and sort them by date or by events. For example you could put all birthday pictures together. Then all Christmas pictures together, etc. I find this to be far more effective than trying to do an album by date.

Tip#5: Put together the album. You may choose to write a little story on each page.

Once you have completed the 2 albums watch with delight as your grown children open them and devour the pages. I am sure they will be thrilled.

Still feeling a little overwhelmed by all the photos in your home. Call me for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We can discuss your personal needs. I’ll give you some tips and encouragement to help you move forward with this project.

Did this video and article help you with moving forward? If so, please leave a comment in the comment box below and please share the love by sharing this blog post with your family, friends and social media peeps. Thank you. 🙂

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:41+00:00June 9th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

Time management – what percentage are you in?

How many hours are in your day?

This is a trick question. Joking aside we all have the same 24 hours in a day. It is how you use them that counts. Some people have a very high value on time while others do not. Some people seem to cram a lot in a day while others do not want to. Since we are all given the same amount of time in a day it really is up to us as to how we spend them.

Are you spending yours the way you really want to?

For sure most of you have certain obligations in a day. For sure some of you have certain responsibilities in a day. Once those obligations and or responsibilities are taken care of you can then look at the rest of your time and see how you are spending it.

Check out this short video on time management.

Did you know that 28% of our day is spent on email? YIKES!!! You have heard it from me before however it is worth repeating.

Unless you have the type of job that requires you to be on email all day only check email twice a day. For sure only check your personal emails twice a day. Check it at noon and again at 4 pm. You will be shocked at how much more time you will have. You will be surprised at how most of your emails can wait from 4 pm until noon the next day. Give it a try and let me know the results in the comment box below.

Did you know that 60% of people check work related emails while on vacation? Giving yourself a mental break actually increases your productivity once you get back to work. Our minds deserve a break. I hear people say “ya but if I do not check my work emails while I am away I will come back to hundreds of emails.” My question would be “how many of those hundreds of emails have taken care of themselves while you have been away?”

Small Bathroom Ideas Pictures Photos Images Selections This is shocking…59% of people check their emails from the bathroom!! Is this the reason so many phones end up in the toilet? There is nothing that cannot wait until you have had a few minutes of private time.

30% of people describe most days as being stressful. Well I guess so if you are taking your phone with you on holidays and to the bathroom. Having proper time management really does ease the stress.

I have found that using the weekly plan sheet eliminates so much stress and increases the number of minutes you have in the day. If you have not received your FREE copy of my Getting It Together’s weekly plan sheet please email me right away and I will send you a copy. Then in your FREE phone session I will give you the step by step methods I use to implement this weekly plan sheet into my life. I recommend colour coding along with getting real about your ideal day.

51% of people admit social media at work hurts their productivity. What about the other 49%? I guess they are not admitting it! Social media has its’ time and place. What I have found about social media is that it is so easy to get distracted and start web surfing without that being your intention. Before you know it 2 hours have gone. Never to been seen again.

I highly recommend having a set amount of time blocked off in your weekly plan sheet for social media. Stick to that plan and see how much more time you have in your day.

The average person has up to 13 different time management methods and they still forget stuff. Are you strictly an electronic kind of person or do you still like the paper method? Pick one way or the other and stick to it.

Another great tip for increasing your time is to illuminate interruptions. Did you know that most people get interrupted up to 7 times a day while working on a project? This might be at work or at home. These interruptions can add up to 50% of your day. There is nothing wrong with putting a sign on your door that says “please do not interrupt unless the place is on fire. I will be available at X time to answer your questions.”

Many people feel that multitasking will increase their time. In fact the opposite is true.

If you focus 100% on the task at hand you will get it done faster, better and with less stress. Please see one of my previous blogs about “Clutter and how it is affecting your relationships.”

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:41+00:00April 14th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Self Care Organization, Time Management|1 Comment

Packing Tips – for a stress free productive move

Would you like to have a stress free move?

Do you need to downsize but procrastinate?

Human nature is to take the path of least resistance. For this very reason people hold off moving/packing until the last possible moment. This is why we have people in their 80’s and 90’s that are still living in the family home even if it is too big or too much upkeep.

Check out this short video on packing tips when getting ready to move.

Here is a general guideline for packing. Adjustments can be made based on what you are packing and where you are moving to. Local moves are just slightly different from long haul moves.

SUPPLIES:

You will want to make sure you have all your supplies handy and ready to go before starting to pack.

Boxes and packing materials.

You can “rent” cardboard boxes from most moving companies or you can get cardboard boxes from your local grocery store. If you would like to go “GREEN” you can use www.frogbox.com. Frogbox drops off reusable boxes at your door and picks them up once you are finished your unpacking. Great motivation to unpack your boxes ASAP.

Get white unprinted clean paper, bubble wrap, any old towels and sheets. (Frogbox supplies paper with their boxes.)

Purchase some good sealing tape. I prefer to not use a tape gun as I find them more hassle than they are worth. Just tape and a good pair of scissors. Be sure to leave your comments on this topic once you have watched the video.

Be sure to have labels and a few black felt markers. The better your boxes are labeled the better the unpack goes. You might even want to use different coloured labels for each room.

Prohibited Items.

Do not pack any flammable or dangerous items. Propane tanks, paint, lighter fluid, matches, bleach, acid batteries, charcoal, chemistry sets or pool chemicals are all prohibited. Do not pack aerosol cans containing oven cleaner, hair spray, lighter fluid, antiperspirants or spray paints. These items could explode and cause damage to your belongings. (This is especially important for long haul moves.)

ITEMS OF VALUE:

Jewellery, coin collections, currency, stocks, bonds, precious stones, stamp collections, deeds, notes or any other items that have exceptional value should not be packed in with all your “regular” household items. Take special care and pack this yourself. Make arrangements for you to transfer them. Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage.

PERISHABLE ITEMS:

Try to pare down as much as possible prior to your move. Use up all the frozen food items, condiments and fresh produce. If your move is local, use a cooler to transfer these items. Be mindful of your plants.

BASIC PACKING TIPS:

Have all your supplies ready in one area. Stay focused to one room at a time. Only pack what you love, use and need. This is a perfect time to be ruthless. I am doing a serious downsize. Each item I pick up I ask myself “will this fit in 600 sq feet?” If not, out it goes.

Keep as many “like” items together as possible. For example, if you are dismantling curtains/blinds or a bed keep all the hardware together with those items. Ziploc bags are perfect for this. You can see what is inside and they are sturdy.

Keep all boxes to a moderate weight. Label “HEAVY” if it is books or other such heavy items.

Seal open containers prior to packing. You would hate to arrive at your new home to find rice or cereal dumped out in a box of pantry items.

Place liquids in a sealed bag. For example your shampoo or dish detergent. Again that would be a mess to come across.

China and glassware needs to be packed standing on edge as opposed to lying down. Plates can easily break if they are laying flat. If you have old sheets or towels use these for packing your fragile items. I like to put a pillow on top of my fragile items for extra cushioning. Label “FRAGILE”.

Pack lamps separate from their shades.

Keep electronics and all the parts in one box. For example, pack your computer with all the cords, etc.

Mattresses. Use a mattress bag for extra protection. Let’s hope it does not rain/snow on moving day.

Use your empty suitcases for things like clothes, linens or pillows.

Use strong packing tape to bundle groups of garden tools or things like mops and brooms.

ARTWORK/PAINTINGS:

Package well with bubble wrap. Keep them standing up on edge. Same goes for glass table tops or mirrors.

TOYS:

Try to keep “like” toys together. A box of dolls, a box of trucks, a box of Leggo, etc.

STORAGE:

When is storage necessary? What should you store? What should you not store? Contact me and we will discuss this. All my clients are eligible for 25% of their first month of storage with www.mapleleafstorage.com

These are just some of the basics packing tips. Please contact me for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation to discuss your upcoming move. I specialize in downsizing, moving, packing and unpacking. I have an endless “LIST” of contacts. Fabulous consignments stores, professional moving companies, insurance representatives…just to name a few.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:41+00:00March 31st, 2014|Organizer, Organizing to Move|7 Comments

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