Someone asked me recently what to do with all those boxes of electronics and appliances. You may have been lucky enough to get some great presents for Christmas and now you have some boxes hanging out taking up space. So the question is...do I have to keep them? And if so, for how long? This is not a yes or no answer so let's break it down. 1- Do you own the item still? If no...GET RID OF IT! If yes...see number 2. 2- Does the item have a warranty? If … [Read more...]
War on School Papers
If you're anything like me...you are always battling a war on paper...specifically school papers. We talked about those stacks of paper last week. Let's continue to talk about how those stacks of paper enter your home. They don't always enter your home as a stack...usually they come in the form of cute drawings and special stories written by your children. They come in the form of papers from the teacher and communication from school. There are all kinds of sources … [Read more...]
Sister Sister
I have a wonderful sister. She's four years younger than me. (We have an awesome brother in between us too.) She lives here in Athens with me and we are great friends. Though we share many values and love many of the same things...we are definitely different when it comes to organizing. Me....the organizer from birth and she...well let's just say she won't ever have a blog named "Neat & Pretty". We shared a room for a good portion of our lives. We have many fond … [Read more...]
Julie’s Principles of Organizing
Someone asked me the other day what were some common things I tell my clients. I thought about it some and these are some things I try to teach all my clients. If we have worked together before you'll probably be nodding your head along the way. I hope these help spark some ideas for you and help you get started on your journey to having a Neat & Pretty space to enjoy! 1. Use Vertical Space We all know how to use flat surfaces to store our stuff (aka piles) … [Read more...]
Let It Go
Today is a great day. You have just decluttered your home. Or maybe you purged your closet and really only kept the things you love. Maybe you decided to thin out the piles of children's toys. That is awesome! Give yourself a pat on the back. You have done a great thing. You are moving forward with making your life more peaceful and less cluttered. But wait! You now have a pile of perfectly good tchotchkes, clothes or toys. These things are worth REAL MONEY. … [Read more...]