The Posh Blog

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Sarah Lindner from the Austin American Statesman.  With Spring Cleaning in the air, she asked me about the 7 Mistakes That Keep You From Getting Organized.  The article was in the Statesman this Sunday and Sarah did an awesome job!  She is a talented writer.   

You can still find the article at the Austin American Statesman web-site.

 But you can read a sample of it below: 

“If your spring-cleaning agenda includes some organizing projects, Angela Ploetz knows just what you shouldn’t do. Ploetz is the founder and owner of the Posh Space organizing company (theposhspace.com) and vice president of the Austin Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers. She ran down for us the seven big mistakes that can keep you from getting organized”.   Click here to continue reading.

Enjoy! 

Angela

Cleaning out your closet is hard to do!  In fact Shop Smart Magazine’s recent survey of women revealed that “64% find the stuff they no longer wear hard to get rid of because they might need it some day.”   I have found that there are Four Reasons People Hold On To Clutter and the second reason is “I may need it someday”.  This reason can be difficult to break, but you should consider if the item is replaceable and how much it would cost to replace it if you actually did need it.  Did you know that we only use 20% of the items in our closets 80% of the time?  So would it be worth more to hold on to things you will most likely never need or to run to the store and purchase the specific item if you need it? 

This can ring especially true when we are talking about the clothes in our closets.  If, for example, the big shoulder pads from the 80’s come back in style (which there are rumors that this is coming) that does not mean that a.) the same patterns and prints from the 80’s will also be back in style and b.) that you are even the same size as you were in the 80’s.  They also reveal that “51% of women cling to clothing they haven’t worn in three or more years”.   

So take a deep breath and repeat after me: “I am ditching my dated clothes that no longer represents me and I am only keeping what makes me look and feel fabulous.  Because that’s what I am”!  Woo hoo!!!!!  So repeat this mantra as you go through your closet.  Don’t let those old pregnancy over-all’s or that old broom skirt get the best of your closet.  Your mission is to keep what represents you today not who you were in the past.  The old clothes are just that…old clothes, they are not you, they are not a former relationship, they are just clothes.   

I want to hear your clothes break through!  Post a comment or send me an e-mail.   

A closet that represents who you really are…oooh that’s the good life! 

Enjoy! 

Angela

Closet Myth #1: Multi-tiered Hangers-Busted!

Myth: If you need more space in your closet us a tiered hanger that allows you to use one hanger for multiple items.   

False!  That’s a huge myth!  Let me explain why.  Yes, the logic is correct, theoretically you have the ability with a multi-tiered hanger to hang and store four to six pairs of pants, skirts or even blouses.  The reality is when you are in a hurry at 6:00 a.m. lifting up three to five pairs of pants stacked on top of each other and then wiggling the garment out of the hanging contraption is more work than many people can handle.  Trust me I’ve tried! And then imagine when it’s time to hang the items back up.  You recall how much of a pain it was to get the garment off the hanger in the first place and now you don’t even want to mess with putting it back on the hanger.  So then the clothes doesn’t get put away and you are left with a messy pile.   

Another common problem with these hangers is that the items that are not hanging on the top rung of the hanger are never looked at again.  If you are never going to look at an item again, then you might as well get rid of it.  Right?  So the best way to make some extra room in your closet is to go through it and let go of some old items you no longer need or love.   

Remember, as with any organizational system you are setting up always work with your natural style and habits.  If you think something has too many steps, it probably does and the less likely you are to follow through and keep your space organized.  Keep it simple and use hangers that make getting the clothes  off and putting the clothes back easy. 

De-bunking an old hanger myth and saving you from hanger wrestling…that’s the good life!   

Enjoy!

Angela

I can not believe this!  If you have never shopped at The Container Store, now’s the time to start.  The fabulous Oprah Winfrey has teamed up with the Container Store to offer yet another 25% off coupon off your entire Container Store purchase.  This offer expires Monday, April 13^th. Visit The Container Store or Oprah’s web-site to get your coupon. 

Also going on now is the continued Elfa sale with the Container Stores signature Elfa line being discounted at 30-50%.   If you are in need of a Spring make-over, now is a great time to get started so you can take advantage of these great discounts.  Remember:  reduce what you have before you go shopping.  See my previous blog on Three Biggest Spring Cleaning Mistakes for more on this. 

 Enjoy your organized space!

Angela

P.S. Watch for closet tips tomorrow.

This just in…just in time for Spring Cleaning, Container Store has announced that their elfa sale is back!  Take advantage of the 30% off discount on elfa products and shelving at The Container Store now through Sunday, May 10^th.   

You can go into the store and get help with your project from a Container Store Associate, you can plan your project on-line, or you can call your local Professional Organizer (like me) to help you choose the right solution for your space.  With this sale ending in May you have plenty of time to start and complete your organizing project. 

Enjoy organizing for less! 

Angela 

Did you know today is a special day?  That’s right, it’s Organize Your Home Office Day.  So for all those times when you wanted to get your home office organized, but you didn’t, now would be the perfect time to get started.  

People often say “I don’t have time to get organized” or “I’ll do it when I have time”.  Unfortunately, until you make it happen there will never be a reminder on your calendar that says “today is the day you get organized”.  So, use this as your official notice that today IS the day that you start getting organized.  In honor of Organize Your Home Office Day let’s start with the home office.  Now, I’m going to cut you a break because I know you may have a full day already scheduled so I’m going to declare it Organize Your Home Office Week.  Here are some tips to help you get your home office organized this week.

1. Set aside a reasonable amount of time to work on your home office each day.  Do what works for you, this may be 15 minutes or two hours, but be consistent and commit to work on your home office every day this week. 
2. No interruptions.  When you are trying to get organized do not:  answer the phone, e-mail, text, or twitter.  You may even need to break out a special toy or movie for the kids to play with while you are in your 30 minute organization zone.
3. Set a timer.  Timers work great to keep us focused on the task at hand.  All you have to do is stay focused on organizing and when the timer goes off, you are done!  If you find when the timer goes off you are on a roll, then keep going until you are at a good stopping point. 

Getting started can be as simple as just a few minutes a day just remember to keep focused and you will see greater results.   Here’s to your organized home office! 

Enjoy,

Angela 

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.