Spring and summer mark the beginning of moving season

Here are a few tips to make your moving process smoother:

Prior to moving or relocating, declutter clothing, toys, or personal items. Eliminating these items in advance of your move will reduce your packing time and moving costs.

Pack items from each room together so they are not mixed with items from other rooms. For example, kitchen items should be packed separately from master closet items. This will help to make unpacking quicker and easier.

On your moving day, ensure the movers label and scan all of your items before they are loaded into the truck. Items should be labeled on each side and not just on the top so they can be identified easily.

While the movers will create a list of all of your items, consider creating your own inventory list to not only confirm the mover’s list but also designate which room they should be placed in your new home.

Once your items start unloading at your destination, be sure to check each item off on both the mover’s list and your list to double check that all your items have arrived safely. Inspect each item for damage if possible.

Time permitting, open and examine your items to see if they are intact. If anything is missing or damaged, be sure to make a claim as quickly as possible. Take pictures to document any damage, and immediately notify your move coordinator.

Lisa Haubenstock is a Professional Organizer and the owner of LisaTheOrganizer, LLC. serving Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties.

March 15, 2021February 23, 2021

Organize your work area at home

Creating an organized work area at home is essential to make your space productive and efficient. Here are a few tips to help you achieve your goals:

If possible, set up your workspace where you have ample natural light. Surround yourself with things that make you comfortable and happy such as pictures, candles, and plants. Simplicity is key – try to keep your workspace simple and uncluttered by placing your office essentials in desktop organizers. To keep power and network cables at bay, use power strips and cable wraps or ties to keep them out of sight. Move valuables and keepsakes to shelves so they are out of harm’s way.

Utilize a filing cabinet, rolling file cart, desktop sorter, or file box to store important documents. Organize your paperwork by type and category so they are easily accessible. Also consider the frequency of access when creating your filing system. To maximize the usefulness of your system, consider scanning and storing your documents electronically in a secure online service for universal access.

Set the mood for your workspace to inspire productivity and your creative juices will start to flow!

Lisa Haubenstock is a professional organizer and the owner of LisaTheOrganizer, LLC. Serving Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties.

December 16, 2020December 3, 2020

Organizing for the holidays

Spending time at home with family and friends during the holidays is a welcome respite for many of us. It’s a chance to spend quality time together, recharge, and reflect on our many blessings. As 2021 approaches, it’s a convenient time to think about how we can start the new year off on a good note and be more organized in all aspects of our lives.

This holiday season is a bit different. Our homes have become our classrooms, workspaces, and exercise areas. Designating “zones” in your home can help you stay focused on the task at hand.

Set up a “zone” in your home for work, school, or other activities that allow you to concentrate. Use a room divider to partition an open space to gain some privacy.

Stay focused with a timer. Distractions are inevitable whether you are at home, at the office, or elsewhere. A timer allows you to stay on track and get things done within the allotted time without being interrupted.

Declutter your home “hub” by setting reminders on your devices and committing to putting away toys, electronics, paper, and other items on a daily or weekly basis.

Donate unused, unwanted, or out of date items such as clothing, toys, or dry goods to your local charity or faith-based organization to make room for holiday gifts and purchases. Recycle obsolete consumer electronics such as cell phones, computers, and printers at your local electronics superstore, office retailer, or local recycling center.

If all of this feels overwhelming, enlisting the help of a Professional Organizer can help jump-start the process and provide you with the motivation, strategy, and expertise to tackle your home organizational challenges.

Organizing your life isn’t just about organizing the space in your home – it’s about accomplishing the goal of making your life simpler and easier so that you can spend more time doing the things you enjoy.

A Professional Organizer can provide you with a tailored and personalized organizational plan to accomplish your goals.

Consider the services of a Professional Organizer in 2021. Put your best foot forward and start your year off right.

Happy Holidays to you and your family from the
Lisa eOrganizer team!

Lisa Haubenstock is LisaTheOrganizer, a Professional Organizer and the owner of LisaTheOrganizer, LLC. Serving Broward, Miami-Dade & Palm Beach counties. She is a member of NAPO and serves on the board of the South residential organizing. Email Lisa at Lisa@lisatheorganizer.com.

November 22, 2020October 23, 2020

Apps can help keep you organized

November is about being thankful for everything: Health,
family, & friends.

This time of year can be stressful and challenging for many because they need a bit of organizational direction.

As an organizer, I’m constantly asked by friends and acquaintances how to get organized for Thanksgiving and the holiday season. My answer is simple: Plan ahead.

Let’s talk about Thanksgiving. As a result of the current pandemic, this November may not necessarily be about big Thanksgiving get-togethers, but you still may be hosting and you’ll need to start to get organized and plan.

Starting early and not waiting for the last moment is key.

1. Make lists of what you need to purchase. One of my favorite things to do is to use the Amazon Alexa app to create “shopping lists.” Not only can you create any type of list with Alexa, but you can tell her what to put on it. So as you are planning that recipe or hoping you’ll remember to buy a bouquet of flowers, just ask her to put it on your shopping list. This eliminates the need for a paper list (that inevitably gets left on the kitchen counter..lol) and it’s automatically populated in your Alexa app.

Another option to manage your to-do list is called TeuxDeux. It’s simple and doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles…try it!

2. Consider using an inventory app like Sortly. There are quite a few home inventory apps out there, and keeping track of your items and where they are in your home can be a tedious process. If you know what you have in your home and where it is, taking out what you need for any holiday or occasion will be a snap. You’ll be happy to avoid the headache of trying to find the things that you need at the last minute.

3. Thanksgiving brings us to the holiday season and everyone’s time is so precious.

To keep track of all of your online purchases, try an app that syncs with your Gmail app called Arrive. Not only will it track your online orders from Amazon and Walmart, but it will also give you status updates with UPS, USPS, FedEx and DHL.

No more searching through emails!

4. Trying to locate your holiday decorations can be challenging if you don’t have a “home” for them all. Consider organizing these items in clear, plastic, labeled bins. This will keep everything neat, tidy and you’ll always know where to find what you need.

Happy Holidays to you and your family from the Lisa eOrganizer team!

Lisa Haubenstock is a Professional Organizer and owner of LisaTheOrganizer, LLC. servicing Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. She is a member of NAPO and serves on the board of the South Florida chapter. She holds certificates in household management and residential organizing.

Email Lisa at Lisa@lisatheorganizer.com.

October 2, 2020October 8, 2020

Organize your pantry

Pantry organization is necessary and essential to keep your kitchen in order. By adding a few simple things into your home, you can achieve this with ease and consistency.

Here are a few organizational tips…

#1 Adding bins, baskets, and clear containers will help to keep your pantry clean and organized.

#2 When purchasing dried goods or snacks like chips, nuts, seeds, crackers, rice, pretzels, or granola bars, be sure to decant and store these items in clear containers. Not only will your pantry look more satisfying without all of those mismatched boxes, you will also be able to see what you have and when you need to purchase more.

#3 Use lazy susans to keep similar items together. Corral all of your oils, vinegars, and condiments to easily find what you need with a simple spin.

#4 Get in the zone. Identify the food and cooking categories that suit you and your lifestyle. Here are a few to consider: baking, breakfast, and snacks. Also make sure to label each zone with their appropriate category.

#5 Place your daily staple items on eye level shelves.

#6 Your pantry can be kept clean and organized by ALWAYS placing newly purchased items in the zones you have created. Consistency is key.

#7 Using the right storage essentials to keep everything in order and looking great will help you have an organized and functional pantry.

Remember, you don’t need to spend a lot to make your pantry look great and function well.

Once your pantry is set up properly, taking inventory before going to the store will be a breeze! This will save you time, money, and lessen the amount of expired food in your pantry.

By Lisa Haubenstock

September 11, 2020August 25, 2020

Organize Your Routine

As the summer comes to a close and school is beginning, it’s time to get your kids’ closet in order, organize their supplies, and make that after school routine seamless.

Here are a few helpful tips:

CLOSET TIPS

Keep a basket in your child’s closet for items of clothing that no longer fit. Collect these items for a younger sibling or mark them for donation.
Use large, clear storage bins with locks to store clothing that needs to be put away. Always label your bins according to the type of clothing and size. The more specific you can be, the better.
Keep your mornings simple and organized by creating a smooth routine and prepping your child’s closet before the start of the school week:

Designate a shelf, drawer, or section of the closet just for school clothing.
The night before, have your child pick out what they would like to wear for school and avoid a time crunch in the morning.

SCHOOL SUPPLY SHOPPING

I don’t know about you, but I love office supply stores! I couldn’t wait to go to the store every August and buy school supplies for my kiddos! Consider checking for supplies you may have from the previous school year and wait to buy additional supplies until you have a list of necessary items in hand. Ultimately, you’ll end up buying fewer supplies and save yourself some time and money.
Strongly consider creating a COVID safety bag and purchasing essential items such as hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, latex gloves, and masks for your child if they are returning to the classroom.

AFTER SCHOOL ROUTINE

Create a “command center” to store your child’s important papers, i.e. homework, chore list, and activity schedule, to keep them organized and easily accessible.
Establish a set routine for what you expect your child to do when they finish their schoolwork. This will help them to prioritize and to learn what needs to be completed, and when they can enjoy some free time.

By Lisa Haubenstock

Lisa Haubenstock is a Professional Organizer and owner of LisaTheOrganizer,
LLC. serving Broward, Miami-Dade, & Palm Beach counties. She is a member
of NAPO and serves on the board of the South Florida chapter. She holds
certificates in household management and residential organizing.

August 10, 2020July 28, 2020

Organize Your Occasion

Planning a wedding is a joyous and special time in life, but it can be stressful to keep all of the details of your wedding in order.

Vendors, guest lists, gifts, and thank you notes are a few that need to be organized with meticulous care, and in turn, require you to have that knack for detail to keep you on track.

Here are a few organizational tips to make this process easier…

There are some great online tools and apps that can keep your lists organized. I recommend WeddingHappy for staying on track with tasks and AllSeated for visualizing seating charts and venue layouts. You can even organize your entire wedding on Trello, and get a little help writing your thank notes on Postable.

If you are not into using digital tools, old school methods of keeping hand-written lists will work just as well. Use a notebook that has pockets, and dedicate several tabs for each category – vendors, gifts, guest lists, etc. and take copious notes! Make sure to include all of the details like costs, vendor proposals with the scopes of work, and all additional specifics that are pertinent.

To avoid getting endless emails and text messages from guests, use a simple wedding website where they can check out your wedding details. Include important information for your wedding like dates, times, locations, dress codes, registries, transportation and lodging, and a day-of itinerary. Everything that appears on the invitations should be present on the welcome page of the website.

If you do decide to work with a professional planner or coordinator, a traditional wedding etiquette and guidebook (such as The Wedding Book) is an excellent source of information and expert advice, including tips, tricks, and examples of useful timelines and checklists.

This will help you visualize and prioritize your goals without being overwhelmed with all your wedding details all at once.

Try and enjoy your wedding process as much as possible! The tools mentioned above will assist you every step of the way and help
to make your special day an even greater success.

By Lisa Haubenstock

Lisa Haubenstock is a Professional Organizer and owner of LisaTheOrganizer, LLC. A Home Organizing and Relocation Company serving Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. She is a member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO). She holds certificates in household management & residential organizing. You can contact Lisa at lisa@lisatheorganizer.com.