No, this is not a joke. October 17th is actually National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day! Do you remember the day when you first bought your computer or laptop? Your desktop screen was pretty much empty. As time goes on, some of us tend to put things in a quick access area where they are easily visible...the desktop. Over time our desktop ends up looking like this...

or even worse, this...

In honor of National Clean Your Desktop Day, today is the day to regain your desktop and add some much needed organization to your virtual life! Check out the following tips on how to clear the clutter from your desktop:

Delete what is not being used - right-click on any icon on your desktop. If the last date modified is a year or older, chances are you don't need it anymore. Delete it off the desktop and if you ever need it again, you can restore it to your desktop from your recycling bin.

Make folders for similar programs/files – putting common programs and files in a folder will clear up and organize your desktop. It will also help you save time when searching for what you need.

Organize files in alphabetical order – sorting your icons in alphabetical order will help keep your desktop organized and make them easier to find.

These tips also work for your cell phone and tablet. No more swiping back and forth through screens trying to find your apps.

Clearing a cluttered desktop will also help your device with space and speed, giving you more time to be more productive throughout the day.

So what are you waiting for? Start celebrating this day with a clean desktop and a fresh start!

There’s nothing better than sinking into the fantasy of a good book; to transport yourself to another dimension or time period and walk in someone else’s shoes. The problem with physical literature is that once the fantasy ends, the book itself serves very little purpose. Sure, we can plan to re-read them again in the future or give them to Aunt Edna next time she is in town, but if we are honest with ourselves, those scenarios rarely happen.

If you know me or have worked with me before, you probably know that I love to re-purpose. The fact is that most of us own way too much stuff, and the amount of useable and good quality items that hit the landfills every year is staggering and unnecessary. As technology is taking over and printed materials are becoming a thing of the past, more and more books are being rejected by the libraries, thrift stores and non-profits that once welcomed those slightly worn donations. Instead of throwing them away, here are a few re-purposing hacks that might come in handy:

• Channel your inner decorator - Old books, even the leather-bound classics, are not sellable or worth what they used to be anymore, but they can be used to add depth and texture to a room by stacking a few on a shelf or coffee table or integrating them with various collectibles. Larger books can be used to prop up decorative items where a bit of height is needed, like on top of kitchen cabinets to raise the displayed object above the top molding. Screw an old piece of hardware, like a hook or doorknob, into the center of a book for an instant wall hook.
• Enhance your storage options – Companies like Umbra make brackets that allow you to create a concealed, floating shelf out of a stack of old books. These can create quite a cool effect when grouped together. The pages of hard cover books can also be partially removed or cut away to create a secret compartment or safe place to store valuables in relatively plain sight. In similar fashion, books can be cut apart and glued to a wooden or plastic box or bin so that the stack on the shelf that appears to be books is really a well-hidden container for larger items of value.
• Cover up just about anything - The pages of a book can be used to decoupage an accent wall, picture frame, plant pot or just about anything else that you can envision. Pages can also be used to line a drawer or the shelves of a closet or cabinet.
• Get crafty - A page from a book can be used as a canvas to get creative by painting, drawing or gluing other images to it to create a quick and interesting art piece for the wall. Adhere a bunch of books together, drill a hole in the middle and insert a lamp kit for an instant conversation piece with a glow.
• Foster community – Community book boxes are popping up all over the place, from your local coffee shop to neighborhoods and apartment complexes. Building a book box is relatively easy (hello Pinterest and YouTube) and can act as a spot for your community to share and exchange books without having to worry about them piling up at home.

These are just some of the fun ways that books can be renewed and re-purposed. With a little imagination, there are likely an endless number of ways to put them to use somewhere within your home.

​It’s that time of year again…already! Summer is bidding its sweet farewell, and I am starting to once again hear the rumbling of school bus tires on the roads. The end of summer is bittersweet for most parents. The end of summer brings tears as we say farewell to our tiny tots on their first days of kindergarten and watch our young adults speed away to their first years in college. The end of summer means that its time to get our acts together and embrace that routine that we carelessly tossed to the curb last July. The end of summer also means we can work from home again and get things accomplished on time and without distraction. Yay! What a mashup of emotions! Although one size never fits all, I have found some ideas over the years that have helped to ease my own family’s transition back to a new school year.

Manage the Paperwork - If your kids are still in elementary school, you know how much paperwork comes home in their schoolbags the first few days back. Between field trip permission slips, picture day forms and pest control notices, the kitchen counter can quickly start to feel more like the local recycle center than a part of your household. My advice is simple: establish a “drop zone” and tackle paperwork every night as it comes in! Evenings can be super busy, especially for dual working families, but allowing paperwork to pile up only creates more effort later. Schedule 10 minutes each night to talk through paperwork with your child, complete and/or sign forms, toss the trash and put those “return to school” items back in the school bag.
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Join Forces - Back-to-school also represents a huge fluctuation in activities as kids join sports teams, school clubs and other social events. Failing to centralize everyone’s schedules will eventually result in missed appointments and late meetings. If your family responds best to a visual cue, create a command center in a high traffic area, like the kitchen or laundry room and clearly write out everyone’s schedule. If your family is more tech savvy, there are a ton of apps, like Google Calendars, Cozi and OurHome, that allow the whole family to track the same set of appointments and to-do’s right from their smart phones.
 
Conquer the Homework - I hear my clients commiserate all the time about their struggles with homework. Right after school most kids need some downtime to decompress from their day. Too close to bed and everyone is grumpy and tired. As kids get older, homework becomes more difficult and time consuming, so without some sort of schedule or routine, your child’s habits can go sideways quickly, especially if school sports are also involved. The option that I have found works best for my own kids is to schedule out the hours of the afternoon and evening to something like this:

​Post this schedule on a chalk or bulletin board in a central location of the house. If homework will take a long time or be too complex, it’s okay to break it into smaller, more achievable chunks throughout the evening. Trying to force completion in one sitting just leads to anxiety and frustration for everyone, so be flexible and experiment with the timing to see what works best for your household. If sports are a factor, this schedule will need to be compressed to some degree. Another option for very busy families is to sign your child up for afterschool study sessions that usually run for an hour right after school ends, or have an older child use their study hall time more wisely to complete the next day’s homework before leaving school.
 
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare - Prep the night activities are essential, especially when mom and dad are running out the door in the morning the same time as the kiddos. Select outfits, including shoes and accessories. Put all returning forms, books and folders back into bags. Pack lunches and discuss tomorrow’s happenings with the whole family before bedtime. Most of these tasks are intuitive, but busy schedules and exhaustion at the end of the day are most frequently noted as reasons for procrastinating. There is nothing worse than running around in the morning, screaming at kids, while trying to find Jimmy’s other shoe and Katy’s permission slip with 30 seconds to spare until the bus arrives. Trust me, I have been in this situation all too often. Just do the work the night before and I guarantee that your morning will go alot smoother!

Are you struggling with motivation? We all fall victim to a lack of motivation at some point. Whether you are halfway through cleaning out the basement or procrastinating about finishing the bills, here are a few ideas that will get you back on track:

1. Take 10…or 20 minutes to break away from your task and do something else. Go for a walk, work out or get the mail. What you do is not as important as simply doing something other than the task that has hidden your motivation. Just make sure that your break doesn’t end up lasting forever. Set the timer on your smartphone or stove, and when break time is over, refocus on the task.
2. Expand your mind. After that break, pick up a book, magazine or your computer and read something that pertains to your project. If you are cleaning out the garage, for instance, looking at Pinterest images of creative storage options or reading an article that shows you how to paint that newly cleared garage floor might be just what is needed to reignite your energy.
3. Ask for help. Sometimes having a friend beside you when performing a seemingly daunting task is all that is needed to get the job done. Whether someone else provides hands-on support or not, asking for others’ opinions on how to complete the process can also help generate more excitement for getting it done.
4. Measure your priorities. This one is listed last for a reason, since very few organizing projects are a waste of time. But…if you’ve tried everything else and you are still low on motivation, maybe it’s time to ask yourself whether the job needs to be done at all. What will happen if you don’t do it? Will it result in a safety issue? Will it make your life harder? Will it make someone else’s life harder? If your answer to these questions is a “no”, then maybe you would make better use of your time, and rediscover that motivation, if you shifted gears altogether.

When was the last time you cleaned out your refrigerator? Nobody enjoys this task, but without a routine schedule, your fridge can get nasty and it will be more difficult to keep track of expired products. Follow these easy steps once every 6 months to create a cleaner and healthier environment for your food:

1. Start by taking everything out of the freezer and loading it into a large cooler or two.
2. Using a bucket of warm water and mild dish detergent, clean the entire inside of the freezer, removing grates, shelves and bins, and thoroughly wiping them down.
3. One by one, take each item from the cooler(s) and make note of its expiration date and visual condition. Is it expired, freezer burned or molded? Throw out anything that fits these descriptions.
4. Load the rest back into the freezer by category. For example, one shelf or bin could be used specifically for meats and seafood.

As an added tip, use a Sharpie to label new frozen items with the date that they are put into the freezer to help keep track of expirations.
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Follow the same routine for the refrigerator, remembering that leftovers only survive about a week before they should be thrown out.

This is the time of year when most of us are hanging outside and regularly throwing hot dogs or burgers on the grill. How organized is your backyard grill or BBQ space? You might want to check out these simple ideas to guarantee an easy and organized grilling experience. Click on any of the product images shared in this article to find out where to get them for yourself!

​1) Consolidate those grilling utensils - Use a hanging system, bucket or nearby drawer to contain all utensils in one place.

2) Containerize your spices – Channel your inner pitmaster by using a caddy, basket or plastic container to keep all necessary rubs and grilling spices at close range.

3) Holster the covers – A large hanging organizer, like the options shown below, is perfect for rolling up and storing grill covers while not in use. Mount one in the garage or on the side of the grill somewhere away from the heat for easy access.

4) Have a flat surface handy – If your grill doesn’t come with built-in prep surfaces, stage a prep station or pull a small table close to where you are working to more easily manage plates, meats and veggies while cooking.

5) Always keep an extra propane tank filled to prevent mid-cooking outages. There's nothing that will kill your backyard bash quicker than half cooked burgers!

​Taking the time to think through your grill's organizing needs and carefully stage solutions for greater functionality will make you less captive to your grill and help to ensure that your next BBQ leaves you with plenty of time for relaxing and enjoying the experience.

Summer is a time when life slows down for many of us. The kids are off school and sleeping in late. The nights are longer, and regular events like dinner and bedtime tend to be stretched alot later than other times of the year. This can easily result in more stressful early morning trips to the office if you are not properly prepared. Here are 4 things you can do to help speed up your morning routine and ensure you arrive to work relaxed and on time:

1. Iron or steam your clean, yet wrinkled clothing before it ever gets put away in your closet. This way all clothing choices are prepped and ready to be whisked from the hanger when needed.
2. Clean out and properly put away all bags, purses and suitcases when not in use. It’s much quicker to switch out a bag on the way out the door if it is easy to find and void of last week’s clutter.
3. Prep anything that is feasible the night before. Decide on an outfit, pack your lunch, prepare the coffee in the coffee machine and properly stock your work bag so as much as possible is staged and ready to go for the morning.
4. Take 5 minutes to check your agenda for the next day and establish a loose plan before sliding your feet between the sheets at night. Doing so will give you time to download and write down important to-do’s and other things that might otherwise keep you up at night.

Prepping properly ahead of time will help to ensure a good night’s sleep, give you a few more minutes of shut-eye in the morning and contribute to a less stressful routine.

Many of us like to shop, but aside from the occasional trip to the mall, what happens when your spending gets out of control? I sometimes help my clients create healthier shopping habits by arming them with the tools needed to resist the urge to make purchases that they might regret later. Changing our perspective on shopping takes time and determination, and for most of us, some things are easier to resist than others. What one item or type of item still holds a strong grasp on your ability to make rational decisions? What makes you want to grab for your wallet regardless of cost or need, and how do you resist the urge to buy?

These 4 simple techniques might help save the day, and your money, when you feel a bout of binge shopping approaching:

1. Put the item down and walk around the store for a few minutes while mentally asking yourself a quick set of questions… Do I need this item? Why do I feel that I need this item? What will I do with this item and do I have a place to put it? Do I have room for this item? Can I afford this item? What will happen to me if I don’t purchase this item? Walk yourself through the logic for a few minutes and be honest with your answers.
2. Practice gratefulness. Make a mental note of everything that you have in your home that fits the same category as the item you are feeling compelled to buy. For example, thinking about all the shoes that you currently own, especially the favorites, can generate a sensation of gratefulness and make you feel less in need of that next new pair.
3. Stay above the hype! Retailers are masters at using product placement, color, smell, sound and other suggestive tactics to draw us in and activate the urge to buy. Next time you are in a store, look around and make a mental note if the tactics that you see in play. Knowing and understanding that we are walking into a retail version of psychological warfare every time we enter a store can help with putting the need for certain items into perspective.
4. Turn to technology. Several companies have developed mobile and web apps that help you control spending in several ways, from blocking purchases once a certain alcohol level is reached (drnkpay.com) to replacing the “Buy” button with a waiting period that enables sensible thinking to kick in (check out Icebox on Finder.com). Budgeting apps like Mint also allow you to determine a set budget for shopping and track progress as you go.

​If you still feel the urge to make a purchase after trying all these techniques, then it’s quite possible that the money might not be so haphazardly spent after all.

Believe it or not, there’s something to be said for following a schedule for de-cluttering each area of your house on a regular basis. Sticking to a routine clean out schedule will save you a load of stress and physical labor in the long run. Here’s an easy to follow plan that I often recommend to my clients:
 
Once a week – Most homes get a bit undone throughout a busy work and school week. In my house, it is not uncommon to have shoes, toys, office supplies and random dishes floating about come Friday afternoon. Look around the house, gather up all visibly misplaced items in a large basket or bag, and return them to where they belong.
 
Once a month – Sort through higher traffic spaces, like the laundry room, kitchen, TV room or play room and return misplaced items to their proper homes. Go through those dusty DVD’s, look in the toy box, and throw out those abandoned socks that have been sitting for 3 months without a match. If you pick one day a month to sort through one room in your home, you will be amazed at how much more organized and clear each space will feel. You will also be reacquainted with everything you own and might just find yourself surprisingly prepared for a very lucrative yard sale.
 
Once every 6 months – As the seasons change, our wardrobe selections start to shift, and most of us don’t have the space to store everything together all year long. This is a great time to sort through bedroom closets and the hallway or entryway coat closet for donations and off-season clothing and shoes. Stash off-season items in under-bed bags or plastic bins if they won’t fit in these spaces and use this time to evaluate whether you really need those jeans you bought 3 years ago with tags still attached waiting for that one day when you lose 5 pounds. I am the first to admit that I have had a few of these hanging around in the past! 
 
Once a year – Nobody likes to clean out the garage or basement, but these areas are usually the fall-out zones for random items and things we plan to put away later. If left to their own demise, these spaces quickly become safe harbor for piles of clutter, fire hazards and unwanted living creatures. Once a year, choose a weekend or a few days in a week to start clearing everything out, making piles and deciding what stays and what goes. Places like Walmart and Big Lots offer great and affordable shelving and storage options, so there is no need for disorganization in these types of spaces. 
 
There is no incorrect method for maintaining a clutter free environment, so you can play around with this schedule to make it work for your home and lifestyle. Just remember that any change in routine takes focus and determination to master, but the payoff for putting in a bit of extra time on a regular basis to keep your home clutter free is well worth the effort.

​There are a lot of things that are worth taking seriously in this world, and sometimes we need a little dose of silliness to balance things out. In celebration of Friday and the weekend ahead, I felt inspired to dust off my not-so-great poetic skills and let the power of positive thought guide me in this epic tale of organizing success and chivalry. Continue on at your own risk… 

Once upon a time there was a busy mom with 4 messy kids and a husband whose dirty clothes lived on the carpet like they were hit by a bomb. The dog kept hiding his toys in the mound of laundry on the floor, and there was so much clutter in the kitchen that the mom could no longer close the pantry door. There was a fire breathing dragon living under her porch and a unicorn eating her flower beds despite the fright of the scarecrow’s torch. She was distressed and overwhelmed and had nowhere to turn. Then she met Erin, a fabulous, incredibly talented and ravishingly beautiful organizer (insert laughter) who wasn’t afraid to get burned (by the dragon of course).

Suddenly, the busy mom’s life changed and things got rearranged. Erin came into her castle, assessed the situation and devised a plan without hassle. With a wave of her wand and a swoosh of her long flowing hair, she flew through the house decluttering, tidying and putting everything back somewhere. She taught the kids incredible lessons, like where to find the garbage can to prevent further messins’. She straightened out that husband and stopped those clothes from hitting the floor, thus removing Fido’s favorite hiding place and finally shutting that pantry door. She extinguished the dragon’s odorous fumes, installed unicorn-proof fencing around the flowers and protected the shrooms. She hustled and bustled and brought order to all parts of the kingdom.

The busy mom was no longer stressed. She cried tears of joy over becoming de-messed. She thanked Erin for her genius and creativity, noting that she could not have done it herself, even if the whole neighborhood was involved in the activity. She was so excited that she called all her friends and before Erin knew it, she was looking at life through a rose-colored lens! She was a millionaire, living in a posh mansion without a hair of despair. She sat grandly out back, looking down at the stack of perfectly organized and impeccable homes that she had created for her customers. “It’s all in a day’s work” she sighed, “I’m along for the ride.” The day was soon ending, and tomorrow would bring more opportunities for dragon slaying, sword wielding and hearing customers sing. As she headed for bed, she dreamed in her head of tomorrow’s adventures that would be sure to bring more opportunities for clutter to shed. The End.

​I warned you...