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I always enjoy reviewing a product. I was lucky to be contacted by Hoover and given a ONEPWR sprayer to use. It is an interesting new product, a handheld cordless electric sprayer.
Whenever I tell someone about this product the first question is, “Does it spray paint”? No, it is for keeping your home clean and safe. Since Covid has become a part of our lives cleaning and disinfecting have become a larger part of our life too. This lovely sprayer can replace your pump spray bottles. You know the ones that make your hand cramp when you’re spraying shelving units, showers or any large surface area.
Assembly
It is easy to assemble and use. Place the battery in the charger. When it is charged slide it onto the sprayer. Put your favourite clean product in the container, hold the finger trigger and spray the surface you want to clean.
Safety
When you’re using the sprayer protect your eyes and nose by wearing a mask and eye protection. You don’t want to get any cleaning spray blowing into your face from nearby vents, fans or windows. It is especially important to wear protection when you’re outside using the sprayer. There are a few products you should not use in the ONEPWR sprayer, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, pine sol and pine-oil based solutions.
So many uses
This product is so versatile. It comes with a bottle of household cleaning solution. You can use whatever cleaning product you prefer. You no longer need to buy your favourite product in a spray bottle. You can buy it in a larger economical size. The sprayer is not limited to cleaning. You can use it to spray insecticides, fertilizers, fungicides and weed killers. You can use it with water to mist plants, clean floors and the inside of your vehicle. It is great to have in the kitchen. Whenever you need to wipe something off, you spray and then dry the surface. It is so much easier than running the tap, wringing out the cloth and wiping something down. You might get more people involved in cleaning when it is this easy and fun. It is great for cleaning large surfaces like walls. Think about your next move or after a renovation how easily you could clean all the walls. Don’t forget it is cordless.
Good for the environment
Using the ONEPWR sprayer replaces single-use wipes and spray bottles and the packaging it comes in. This reduces what is going into the landfill. You can reduce the number of chemicals you use in your home by purchasing eco-friendly cleaning solutions.
The ONEPWR cordless sprayer is more convenient and eco-friendly than single-use spray bottles or wipes. #ad #Hoover Share on XDisadvantages
No product is perfect. It is a little heavy with the battery and the liquid container filled. It is still very manageable to hold and direct the spray where you want it to go. Any time you have a product with a rechargeable battery you need to remember to charge the battery and have a place for the charger. There will be those frustrating occasions when you have forgotten to take the battery off and charge it. The ONEPWR sprayer needs more space to store it than 1 spray bottle. But how many spray bottles do you have?
Value
This product costs approximately $240.oo CDN. You will recover the purchase price quickly. You will spend less on single use wipes. You can purchase large size economically priced products. It will make cleaning so easy that you no longer need to pay someone to clean for you. Perhaps you’ll keep the cleaning person and let them use the sprayer, lol.
I think I covered all the information about the Hoover ONEPWR Sprayer. Tell me about your experience with this product in the comments.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
August is that time of year for people moving to be settled before September when a lot of commitments restart after the summer. It might be moving into a dorm room, across the country for a new job or a new home. My guest blogger is Sophia Perry from Arizona Moving Professionals.
Moving to a new home might be exciting, but the mere thought of getting ready for the move is seldom so. With a bunch of tasks on top of an already busy schedule, anyone would feel frazzled. Nevertheless, proper organization is a key to a successful household transfer. A sure way to keep on track with your relocation journey is by designing a detailed to-do checklist. Furthermore, there are a few more practical tips for getting organized during a move. These will benefit your effortless and untroubled relocation to your new home.
Make time your ally – prepare early
Once you cast the dice on your household moving, there is no reason to postpone preparations. Getting organized during a move is best with enough time on your hands. It is essential to get ready mindfully, without feeling rushed and pressured by the lack of time. Did you know that moving houses is one of the top 3 most stressful life events? However, allowing yourself sufficient time to arrange the relocation will significantly decrease stress and anxiety levels. And if you want to make the entire process a breeze, consider virtual organizing consultations. It is a cost-effective solution to set up an organizing system in place. Also, it will be helpful if you find yourself struggling with what to keep or don’t even know how to start organizing your items for the move.
Declutter and organize your current home
Regardless of whether you are moving within the greater Toronto area or beyond, you will need to sort out your possessions. With enough time to dedicate to this task, you will streamline the entire moving process. You can always ask for help with organizing your inventory and slash hassle.
Whether you have lived in your current home for over 20 years or less than a year, you probably have items that you rarely use or not at all. Thus, make a point to get rid of these. Moving them to your new abode will only create mess and clutter over time. And relocation is the perfect opportunity to declutter your stuff and keep only those items with real value in your life.
If you feel uneasy about tossing still usable items you don’t need, there are several ways to give them a new life. Your friends or relatives may appreciate a nice surprise gift. Or you can sell or donate things for worthy causes. Setting up an organized move in big part is sorting out your possessions. Hence, get on this task at the earliest, and sail smoothly to your new place come moving day.
Book your moving services with time to spare
Summertime is when most people change locations. And with the moving season in full swing, make sure you lock in your moving date as soon as possible. Finding good movers in Niagara can be challenging at any time, let alone during the summer. Hence, enlist professional movers who know the area well as you sift through your belongings. An expert mover is instrumental in getting organized during a relocation. Thus, rely on professionals, and secure your swift transfer to a new home during the warm summer months.
Neat paperwork is vital for getting organized during a move
Every household move involves a lot of paperwork. To keep organized during the entire process of moving, get your papers in one place. All you need is a practical binder that you can have with you along with other essentials. To be well organized during your move, ensure you have easy access to all important documentation. Keep your moving company paperwork, such as order of services and bill of lading, neatly arranged. Besides, keep all of your personal and financial documents with you at all times.
Ask your mover for moving supplies
With your inventory sorted, and important paperwork safely set aside, it is time to tackle the packing part. But before you embark on this mission, have your moving supplies ready. Instead of searching for suitable materials across Niagara, rely on the assistance of your mover. It is the easiest way to find all the materials you need. Like so, you will get a supply of quality packing materials that will not compromise the safety of your valued possessions. Besides, you will save lots of energy and effort looking for and gathering pieces from different places. Hence, talk to your mover to ensure your comfort and save yourself from another onerous moving-related task.
Have a sound packing plan
Once you have secured your moving supplies, it is time to start the packing party. Although the filtering of their household items is an arduous task for many, all will agree that packing is a drag. Unless you opt for professional help to see it through quickly, you will need a good packing strategy. First and foremost, do not put off the task for later. And, remember that you do not have to do it all in one day. Hence, motivate yourself to make progress in the course of a few days. Packing an entire household is certainly not easy, but the most important part is to start the job. So, create a timeline and follow it. Getting organized and keeping it up during a move is a challenge within itself. If you feel yourself lagging with the process, you can always reach out for some boost from your professional organizer.
Box in the essentials last
Preparing and packing on time is the safest way to stay on top of your move. However, essentials such as bathroom supplies, bed linen, and kitchen utensils should be packed last. You will need these and various other items until the last moment on your moving day. So, make sure you designate a couple of boxes to pack them last. These should also be your open-first boxes when you move into your new place. All the essentials will make your first couple of days more comfortable until you start unpacking and settling in. Getting organized during a move might seem like a tricky task. But, with the tips mentioned above, it is possible to streamline your project and make it a cinch
How far in advance of your moving day did you start packing?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time: 10 minutes
In 2020 there were 306 billion emails sent and received each day worldwide. Experts generally agree that a person sends and receives 121 business emails each day. The best time to send an email is between 10-11 am. The average professional spends 28% of the workday reading and answering emails, according to a McKinsey analysis. For the average full-time worker in America, that amounts to a staggering 2.6 hours spent per day. Jan. 22, 2019
It is no wonder that you are so distracted by e-mail that you can’t get anything done. Here are 5 tips to help you manage your email communications.
1. Turn off the audio reminder of e-mail arriving in your inbox so you won’t be distracted from the task you are trying to complete.
2. Set aside two or three specific times of the day to check your e-mail and respond to quick items with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Schedule, in your agenda, longer e-mails to be answered when you have more time.
3. Cut down on those 121 emails by reducing the number of lists and newsletters you subscribe to. They are just like magazines that lie around waiting to be read and create a feeling of stress in you.
4. Keep your inbox as empty as possible by creating folders to store receipts, orders, invitations, information etc. Search functions do work well for finding old emails, leaving them all in your inbox means you spend time re-reading emails.
5. Don’t respond to e-mails from companies and people you don’t know. Don’t respond to any e-mail asking for or giving you money.
The average professional spends 2.6 hours each day on approximately 120 emails. Share on XShare your best tip that helps you use email productively.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading Time – 5 minute
In 2020 technology become a communication lifeline. It was used for education, business, family communications, school and social events. It became the most important method of communication and entertainment. Zoom took over life. Will this be a difficult habit to change? Do you want to reduce your reliance on technology? Did technology get you the results you wanted for your life? The ideas and thoughts in this 2014 article by Harold Taylor still hold true for 2021. How are you going to manage your technology going forward?
By Harold Taylor
Harold Taylor is a time management expert. He has published over 17 books and presented over 2000 seminars.
An online poll of over 1000 Canadian adults released last Saturday by Angus Reid/Vision Critical (Toronto Star, January 26, 2013) revealed that 90% of the respondents believed their smartphones made their lives more convenient. So convenient, evidently, that 30% of them went online before getting out of bed, 31% at the dinner table, 29% in the washroom and 42% before falling asleep at night,
Smartphones may be smart, but they lack intelligence. Why are we so willing to be at the beck and call of an idiot? The Internet leads anywhere, which for the undisciplined means nowhere. Why browse away the hours? Email, computer games and social media are endless, but our time is not. Why do we behave as though we will live forever?
Smartphones may be smart, but lack intelligence. Harold Taylor Share on XResearch shows that the Internet and digital technology can have a negative impact on our ability to learn, focus, pay attention, memorize and relate to others on a personal basis. It also gobbles up our time, encourages busyness and multitasking and stifles creativity.
The futures of our business, personal lives, and our nations do not depend on the development of technology, but on our ability to manage the technology we develop.
Technology is important, it can’t be avoided, you’re reading this blog, lol.
Comment on how will you change your use of technology.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
The 80/20 rule can be applied in many situations and states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort. It is also known as the Pareto Principle. The principle has been named after Vilfredo Pareto—an Italian economist—who, in 1895, noticed that about 80% of Italy’s land belonged to 20% of the country’s population. Maciej Duszyński states in his article Pareto Principle & the 80/20 Rule, “Pareto’s principle is more of an observation than a full-fledged scientific theory. It is commonly noticeable in a variety of contexts—but it’s not applicable to each and every scenario. Plus, the numbers 80 and 20 should not be added up to 100. The fact it’s called the 80/20 rule is simply a catchy, historical catchphrase.” As an organizer, the 80/20 helps people to easily, and subjectively analyze what they use the most, how they spend their time and how to manage their projects.
Possessions
Many times Professional Organizers will talk to clients about the 80/20 rule. I will say, you use 20% of your stuff, 80% of the time. This means most of your stuff (80%) is not used very often. Think about your clothing. Do you have some outfits you wear a lot? You love how they look, feel and you get a lot of compliments. If you apply the 80/20 rule you can let go of 80% of your clothing because you don’t wear them very often. Think about your other possessions. Do you have DVDs, books, jewelry, tools, toys and dishes filling your closets and cupboards? Let go of the 80% that you almost never use. Organize, enjoy and respect the 20% that you use frequently.
Time Management
Once you realize that 80% of your outcomes come from 20% of the time and effort you spend on them, the importance of prioritizing becomes obvious. If you have a To-Do List, prioritize the top 2 items (20%) and complete them first. Although the other items, of less importance, might not be completed the ones you did complete will have a big impact (80%) on your accomplishments. Don’t neglect the other tasks. Move on to doing them once you clear the big ones. You can delegate the other tasks. The 80/20 rule will help you to use your time efficiently.
Projects
It is important to understand when a project is finished. The first 20% of the time you spend on a project will get you to 80% finished. Trying to get the final small amount completed perfectly may not be a good use of your time. When you have 80% of your project perfected should you move on and publish it, institute the changes or present it for discussion? I have a saying on my bulletin board that says, “good enough” + “published” is 1000 times more valuable than “perfect” + “not quite ready yet”. I have seen weeks, months and years spent focusing on making the last 20% perfect. It can be a stumbling block to your success if it allows you to procrastinate and lets you hide behind the fear of accomplishing a new challenge. The feedback you receive on your project will be more valuable in perfecting your work than you spending more time on it.
Paper
An organizer, Linda Samuels reminded me that the 80/20 rule can help you with your filing. She says, “Applying the rule to papers is a good one too. We only retrieve 20% of the papers we file. And since most people (other than organizers) dislike filing, it’s a good thing to keep in mind. Perhaps recycling rather than filing is a better option for that other 80%.” You usually keep more paper than you need and that makes it difficult to find the 20% that is important in our files. This is true for emails also.
Kevin Kruse states in his article in Forbes, “No matter what your situation, it’s important to remember that there are only so many minutes in an hour, hours in a day, and days in a week. Pareto can help you to see this is a good thing; otherwise, you’d be a slave to a never-ending list of things to do.”
What 20% of your effort gives you 80% of your satisfaction?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 3 minutes
Do you enjoy watching all the TV shows about people getting their homes and lives organized? Some of those shows make it look so easy. So you start thinking about doing it yourself.
Do it yourself?
This is a good answer if you are healthy and can lift and move things around your home to other spaces and out to your vehicle to take away to be donated. If you can schedule time for your project and are motivated to make your home work well for you, set the time up now to begin your project. There will be a lot of decisions to be made about what to keep and what to give away. If making those types of decisions come quickly and easily you will be successful in organizing your home. You will need a system for sorting, parting with items and organizing things well. If you have that plan or want to research how to get organized you are ready to start.
Need some instruction and guidance?
If you enjoy the physical labour of working around your home and creating a space that suits your lifestyle and personality but you’re not sure of the steps try purchasing an online course. They can give you the guidance you need when you’re not sure what comes next or how to set up zones in a room. Once you learn the process you can repeat it until your entire home is organized.
Need some motivation and accountability?
You may have good intentions about organizing your home. Getting started and continuing the work is the hard part of the job for you. Make sure to book appointments in your schedule to do some organizing work. The appointments may be shorter ones every day or longer ones once a week. Be consistent, working daily or weekly so you will see progress and that will motivate you to keep going. Find an accountability partner. That is someone you tell about your project, when you will be working on organizing your home and exactly what you will do that day. They will contact you to see if you did the work. Try working virtually with a Professional Organizer. They can help you with the initial planning, you meet with them to discuss how the project is moving forward and if you are stuck, together you can come up with solutions. They will keep you motivated and accountable. Here are the virtual services I offer.
Need some help letting go of things?
Do you find it difficult to decide what to let go of and pass on to other people to use and enjoy? You may be very sentimental and want to keep everything. Try thinking about keeping only the best of the best instead of everything. If you have the best quilt, the best teacup, the best photos in one album, the best painting you will still have all the memories and less possessions to clean, pack, move or display. Other people will be able to enjoy using the items. It is important to remember that not everything that comes into your life is meant to stay forever. Develop some questions you can ask yourself to help you decide if you are going to keep something or let it go. Decide if you need to touch an item one last time to be able to let it go or if holding and touching the item makes you want to keep it. In this second case, you may need a friend to help you. If you’re having trouble letting go of things from your past and moving forward I have a 9-week one on one coaching program.
Need some company?
Do you really dislike working alone? Do you like having someone to discuss things with? Ask a friend to help you. Put on some motivating music and make it fun. Make sure you know what you want to do so you can tell your friend what to do. Have a plan. You want to make good use of the time and not let it become a conversation, coffee or consoling time. Working with a Professional Organizer is a great way to have help with your project. Two people working at it will get it done twice as fast.
Here are the in-person professional organizing services I offer.
Need some help maintaining your organization?
Do you have a beautifully organized home and bit by bit the place starts to become messy again? There may be 2 reasons. First, you may need to adapt your plan so it can work better. Wherever the piles are forming it is a sign that the place you have chosen to store those items is too far away or too hard to access. Try storing those items in a new place so it is easy to get them out and put them away. The second reason for the mess developing is you need a maintenance schedule. Each evening take 15 minutes to put things away and get ready for the next day. Once each week use an hour to make sure your system is working, everyone is putting things away and declutter some items you may not need. As time goes on you may find small tasks and situations occur that you need help developing a solution for. Sign up for my Laser Coaching Program. They are quick 15-minute appointments to discuss one (at a time) specific organizing dilemma and decide on a solution to implement. 
Everyone has different organizing skills. No matter what part of getting organized is a stumbling block for you there are resources to help. Share on X Let me know in the comments what is the hardest part of getting or staying organized for you.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 5 minutes
With school out for summer and children around more of the time think about organizing things so they can keep their stuff put away. Too many times children can only do half of the job because the shelf is too high for them to reach and an adult needs to finish the job. Organize things so they can do the entire job of putting things away or getting things out. It will be less frustrating for everyone.
1. Place hooks so children can reach them and as children grow, the placement of their items should change with their higher reach.
Have hooks at a variety of heights so each child can reach a hook
2. Organizing items for children to use should be kept within their reach. If a child constantly needs help accessing these items this will cause frustration for both parent and child. Keep books, toys, dishes, coat hooks, clothes closet bars and towels at age/size-appropriate level.
3. Designate a place for sporting gear, helmets, pads, shoes etc. It may be a shelf or a pegboard with hooks or a mess bag. These 3 options allow the sporting gear to dry out before the next usage. It is important to air out damp items so they don’t get mouldy. When the children arrive home they won’t need to ask a parent what to do with their stuff and when an adult asks them to get ready they can easily collect everything they need. No more piles of gear left on the floor by the door.
4. Establish a routine for water bottles and lunch bags. Make sure the children know how to empty and recycle items from their lunch bag and where to put the bag for storing or use the next day. Do water bottles need to be washed every day or refilled? What is the rule in your household?
5. Wet swimwear needs to be hung up and dried or washed. Make a place for towels to be hung and bathing suits to be dried. Teach your children to wring out or roll their bathing suit in their towel before hanging it up. This will prevent a puddle of water from forming on the floor. Placing swimwear and towels on a hanger to dry may be easier to reach than putting it on a line. You may want to set up a portable clothes drier so it is easy for the children to reach.
6. Remember to always keep cleaning supplies and medicines out of the reach of children.
7. If children are permitted to use the microwave oven unsupervised, place the unit at a height where children can remove food easily without climbing on counters or standing on chairs. This will help prevent injuries from hot food spilling on the child or a child falling.
8. Label bins, drawers, and shelves with pictures or words to make tidying up quick and easy.
Label containers to make clean up easy
9. Establish a bulletin board, magnet board, or a wall covered with magnetic paint as an area to display children’s work. As new work comes home, remove items from the display area and put them in a box. When the school year is over, go through the box and decide which pieces to save and put away and which to recycle.
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time 5 minutes
We are looking forward to using our vehicles more and travelling again. Vehicles are used as mobile offices, restaurants, entertainment centers, locker rooms and homework stations. Keeping a vehicle clean can be easy. Here are 7 tips to help you organize your vehicle.
Garbage Bag
1. Have a plastic garbage bag in the front and back seats of your vehicle. It can be hooked on the headrest or armrest. Make sure all garbage is put in the bag and not all over the floor. When the bag gets full unhook it and put it in your garbage can on the way into the house. Keep a few extras in the vehicle.
A plastic garbage bag can be hooked on armrests.
Place a garbage bag in the back seat by hanging it over the headrest.
A garbage bag can be anywhere in the car, just make sure it is used.
Have a backpack ready
2. If you have a young child keep a backpack ready at the door to take with you in the car. Fill it with things your child can use to entertain themselves. When you arrive home put everything back in the backpack and bring it into the home. This prevents toys, papers and video games from being left all over the vehicle. It also prevents things from being damaged by being left in a sweltering vehicle.
Use your cupholders for temporary storage
3. Cup holders are a great invention. Put a clean tall cup in the holder and use it to hold pens, pencil crayons, small toys, notes, papers, and snacks. It will help to keep items confined to a space and prevent them from being lost in the vehicle.
Use a cup for your change. it will be easier to retrieve your change. Keep the cup in your cup holder.
Bring snacks from home and keep them in your cup holder
Use a cup holder for children’s toys
A portable office
4. If you use your car for an office try using a bin, box, or bag to contain all your supplies. There are a number of portable office organizers available or make one that is personalized for your situation.
Customize your own portable office for your specific needs
This organizer keeps the seat clear for items while organizing your office supplies
This office organizer attaches to the seat so it won’t end up on the floor of your vehicle
This is a portable office that can easily be taken with you to the car, meetings, library or hockey arena
This mobile workstation can help to keep your work organized
You spend a lot of time in your vehicle. Keep it a safe and healthy place free from flying objects and germs. Share on XClean up messes quickly – people and the vehicle
5 . Keep disposable wet wipes in the glove compartment for quick clean-ups. I have a small container of water, soap and a cloth for washing hands and faces. I keep it in a small box so it won’t roll around the van. I bring it in, change the water and put it back the next time I go to the van. Keep a roll of paper towels handy. You never know when they will come in handy for bigger clean-ups. If you have a mess in the vehicle clean it up right away. You have the products with you so it is an easy job. Always take everything out of the vehicle when you arrive home. Use the car door pockets and seatback pockets for items that permanently stay in the car. If you start with a clean vehicle on every trip it is easier to keep it clean.
Take everything out of the car each time you arrive at home.
Keep disposable wet wipes for quick clean ups of spilled drinks, and dirty hands.
Be ready to jump in your car and go and enjoy your trip, short or long
Keep your cargo area under control
6. It is easy to put things in the back or trunk, arrive home and rush into the house. If you don’t take the things out then when you add more it becomes fuller and fuller. There are certain things that live in the cargo space. Find a home for them. A box, crate, a built-in storage area, a bag hooked to the side with a 3M hook, under the bottom by the space tire. Make sure the other items are stored back in their proper place in the garage, basement or home.
Seasonal storage “locker”
7. Sometimes the cargo area is used as a seasonal storage “locker” because there isn’t an easy place to store and access sporting equipment. Some situations are hockey bags, golf clubs, soccer equipment and water sports. When the season is over clear out the gear. Wash it, clean it, dry it and store it away until next year. Leaving wet equipment in your vehicle year-round will cause it to deteriorate and get mouldy.
I think I covered most problems in your vehicle, including garbage, toys, paperwork, messes and cargo areas. What did I miss? Let me know in the comments.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading Tim: 5 minutes
We no longer call it hoarding or call a person a hoarder. Now we refer to it as hoarding disorder and a person with a hoarding disorder. There is much more respect for the journey being travelled by the person with a hoarding disorder.
Much is still not completely understood about hoarding disorder. Is it genetic, is it learned behaviour, is it caused by a mental wellness issue that triggers it? Is it a combination of all of these?
Making Peace with the Things in Your Life
In Making Peace with the Things in Your by Cindy Glovinsky, she writes about the internal battles of guilt and shame and by making peace with those a person can make peace with their things. She talks about figuring out what is going on in the person’s life so they can figure out why they are doing what they are doing. Part I talks about assumptions, Part II looks at habits and feelings, Part III describes possible causes of dealing with things and solutions and Part IV looks at ways to detach oneself from automatic emotional responses that perpetuate cycles of clutter.
Cluttered Pearls The Stigma of Hoarding
This 2013 article takes a close look at the many different types of behaviours involved in hoarding. The information is still true today. I hope you enjoy this perspective written by Jean Oliver http://www.nexusnewspaper.com/2013/01/24/cluttered-pearls-the-stigma-of-hoarding/
Hoarding Scale
The Institute of Challenging Disorganization is a resource for many different types of organizational problems including hoarding disorder. They developed the ICD® Clutter-Hoarding Scale® that is based on five levels of clutter. 
Clutter Image Rating
The Clutter Image Rating scale (with 9 levels/photos) was created by Dr. Randy Frost and Dr. Gail Steketee. They are experts in the field of hoarding. Their books are a good resource.
Offering Help
A lot of times a friend or family member will offer help. Too often the person thinks it would be better for the friend with a hoarding disorder to have a less cluttered space. The help is usually offered in a well-meaning manner. If the person with the hoarding disorder is not ready to change, progress will not be made or if some is made it will not be a lasting change. Talk to them about what they want and need. It may be to join a group for peer support in conquering their hoarding habits, working with a therapist or working with a Professional Organizer. The journey of changing habits and conquering shame is long but worth the time, energy and support you can give them.
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments about your hoarding disorder journey.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 3 minutes
My guest blogger this week is Making Your Small Space Feel Bigger from Downtown Apartment Company
Last week I reviewed a book that helps you to downsize the items in your home. Once your home is decluttered and organized a few design elements can make your room feel more spacious. It is important to organize your home so it suits your personality and lifestyle. As design is is not my strength, I invited a guest blogger, Downtown Apartment Company, to share a design graphic to help you with making your smaller space feel larger.
There aren’t many of us that live in a place that is as big as we’d like. We have to work with what we got. Luckily, there are ways to make your place feel bigger without adding any square footage. Coping with a smaller living space can be done with a few easy steps.
Using elements of design and psychology, you too can make your small place feel like a big space!
No matter the size, there are a lot of simple yet effective techniques and tricks you can do to really open up your place and make it feel roomier. An example is altering the colours, textures and patterns of your home. Changing the overall design is a fundamental way to affect how people will feel in it.
Using a monochromatic colour palette, for example, will make a room feel more airy and open, compared to a room with loads of contrast. Accenting your room with light fabric curtains and furniture with long, thin legs will also add to the impression that your place is bigger than it really is. Decorating your walls with striped elements will guide the eye horizontally or vertically to creating the feeling of additional height or width, as well.
Accepting your small space doesn’t have to mean feeling like you’re always trapped in a phone booth. Mastering the design elements below will help you and others feel less claustrophobic and more like the place you’ve always dreamed of.
Have I missed anything? In the comments let me know how you make a space feel larger.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
