OrganizingLA Blog

How to Easily Avoid "Attack of the Killer Spiders" by Reducing Clutter

Hollywood has a long history of monster movies featuring giant bugs and insects.

Starship Troopers, Them, and The Wasp Woman are just a few of those Tinseltown jewels. 1977's Kingdom of the Spiders features William Shatner battling carnivorous spiders. But as we all know, Hollywood bases their fiction on real events... as in this story from this week's Sacramento Press.

"Spiders, long a favored subject of sci-fi movies and horror novels, seem to provoke an especially strong yuck factor in humans. Although we know on an intellectual level that they have many beneficial purposes in the eco-system, including eating other insect pests, most of us don’t want them in our kids’ bedrooms.

Now that warm weather has arrived, spiders are proliferating outdoors and often making their way into our homes."

The story points out that various spiders usually hang out in different California regions. A deadly spider, brown recluse, resides in the Southern United States but not generally in California. There's some comment in the piece about spiders being transported via moving vans into Los Angeles. A cousin of the brown recluse, the South American native Loxosceles laeta, has been spotted in Los Angeles County.

What can you do about spiders?

It is important to keep areas around your home (and office) free of clutter and debris. Get rid of the clutter and you'll gain control over a spider population because they reside in the mess. Remove the items, boxes, papers, clothing on floor. Seal up cracks and crevices and clean the corners where spiders may get in. Periodically move materials and furniture and vacuum garages, basements and living spaces. Keep debris, firewood, construction materials and stones outside your home. By following these suggestions and turning to the appropriate pest control experts when necessary will not only keep you organized, but will create a healthy home for you and your family.

There is more help on the internet, just Google "spider control" and you'll find additional resources.

Do you have any spider control regime tips or stories to share with our readers? Let us know.

"We are Moving!" image above courtesy Worth 1000

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Photos from the Fifth Annual Los Angeles Organizing Awards Red Carpet

Here are some pictures of the amazing Peter Walsh, the lovely Linda Koopersmith and yours truly organizing the Red Carpet at the 2010 Los Angeles Organizing Awards last January.

The Awards celebrate the best and brightest in the organizing industry. This year's celebration was held at Raleigh Studios Hollywood, one of the oldest and most historically significant film and video production centers in Los Angeles.

Besides being an author, Office Max and California Closets Spokesperson, Peter Walsh (above left) is the former star of Clean Sweep on TLC. He's busy casting for his Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) show to premiere later in 2010.

Linda Koopersmith is known as the original Beverly Hills Organizer and starred in Clean House for the Style Network. Besides authoring her own book, Linda has also also been busy filming organizing and interior design makeovers for the Insider and Entertainment Tonight.

photos courtesy NAPO Los Angeles and photographer Paul Redmond

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Health Net Presents Solid Evidence That Being Organized Is Good For You

Leave it to Los Angeles-based Health Net to present what seems like solid medical evidence that being organized encourages less daily stress, a sense of optimism, less overwhelm, reduced time pressure and a more harmonious home and office environment. Read the article by clicking here.

The study, coordinated by Ian Shaffer, M.D., chief medical officer and staff of MHN, Health Net's behavioral health subsidiary, says the energy needed to clean and dust not only provides a portion of the physical activity we need daily, but provides a "bounty" of other benefits. Shaffer points to three:

Reduced time pressure:

"Among the greatest sources of stress is time pressure, i.e., so much to do, so little time. While being organized doesn't add hours to the day, it does enable you to make the most of the 24 hours in each day. Organized individuals don't waste time wondering what work project is due when, or where a needed item -- from an unpaid bill to an uncashed check -- might be hiding. The time saved can be spent on any number of stress-busting activities, such as exercising or preparing a healthy meal."

Disorganization makes it hard to see things in their components:

"Failing to see the parts leads to a few of the whole that can be very overwhelming and at times will lead to immobilization and people failing to act and move forward."

No disorganization domino effect:

"As a general rule, disorganization creates a ripple effect, impacting not only the offender, but also those around him or her. If you're disorganized, the fallout can extend to family, friends as well as co-workers, and a tension-filled environment can become the order of the day. Conversely, while organization doesn't guarantee harmony and happiness, it unquestionably helps."

This is probably the most interesting piece of medical evidence we've ever seen in the past few years. Health Net is among the nation's largest publicly traded managed health care companies. For an organization to provide opinion on the subject validates our work and what many professional organizers around the Globe preach about daily. Bravo Health Net!

Image of cartwheel man at Getty Center Brentwood courtesy DRGANDY on Flickr

Read More:

Spring Cleaning Spruces up Your Home and Helps Your Mental Health Shine

Related Posts:

Getting Organized Can Improve Your Health?

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Do Organized People Find Love Faster?

Here’s an interesting question now that Valentine’s Day is here:

Do organized people find love faster, or easier than say, so-called disorganized people? Or does it really matter? Read on and weigh in.

We started thinking about this the other day. Being organized is about acknowledging your goals and in most cases, writing them down or (at the very least) making a mental list. You refer to the list every so often, daily, weekly, or for general reference. You have to make sure your goals are somewhat obtainable, real perhaps not too lofty or too low. Or do you? Some people create a wish list. Some write all this in a diary under lock and key. What about a spreadsheet password protected? We'd imagine some even tucking these lists under their pillow at night.

Here are some some basic questions you can ask yourself when organizing yourself for love:

• Write down the age, height and build of your dream mate.
• Write down what kind of job you’d picture them having.
• Make some notes about what hobbies they’ll have, religious beliefs, personal likes and dislikes.
• Get a reality check about deal breakers (smokes, drinks, couch potato).
• Are you looking for a spouse, dating material or a romantic fling?
• (the list can go on and one—you get the point).

Earlier this week in between client appointments, we posted this question on several social networking sites. Here are some of the responses we received on our Twitter account:

And a response we received on our Facebook page:

The idea here is elementary. Organized people make lists, focus and work towards goals. But can they find love faster, easier and find it more fulfilling than a disorganized person who just goes out and wings it?

Share your ideas in the comment section below.

Image courtesy Next Exit Photography, Los Angeles (fabulous photo taken by Long Beach Harbor Downtown Aquarium)

Related Posts:

Je t' adore Valentine's Day (2/06)

Patty Stanger Millionare Matchmaker Organizes Your Love Life (4/09)

How To Make a Beautiful Home When No One Agrees (5/06)

Archive Your Wedding Gown Like a Museum (2/08)

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Los Angeles Awards Show Honors Worldwide Organizing Industry Leaders

Next Saturday January 30th will mark the Fifth Anniversary of the Los Angeles Organizing Awards.

Organizing industry leaders from across the globe will convene in Hollywood at Historic Raleigh Studios for a celebration of the best people, products and services for the past year. We'll be there, presenting alongside our beloved colleague Jill Revitsky, owner of Discover Organizing in Pittsburg, PA. Join us if you're in town.

To read a recent press release announcing Avery Dennison as Presenting Sponsor, continue past the jump.

Hold a Professional Clothes Drive

Fall is here. Now may be the perfect time to take a good hard look at your wardrobe.

Why not ditch the pieces that no longer fit, are out of style or just plain not you anymore. Perhaps you have clothes that are new, in perfect condition and you have no intention on wearing them? To make yourself feel good and help others in need, gather some friends, (or better yet) some office colleagues and start a professional clothes drive.

A simple email, collection center, and designated charity will do the trick. We suggest you chose Dress for Success, where women in transition benefit from donated business outfits. if you want to check into some local Los Angeles resources, dive into our 2007 post written for a reader who wanted to lose her 1990's business suits and didn't know how to.

Here are some tips we put together recently for a Professional Clothes Drive for one of the world's largest professional services firms in Downtown Los Angeles:

Clear Out Your Closet:

Let's face it, everyone knows it's hard to let go of clothes that you really like even though you have not worn. Below are three closet-clearing tips from fellow CLARE Foundation volunteer and organization expert, John Trosko of OrganizingLA.  John has a few tips up his sleeve to help you clear out the old, to make way for the new, and in the meantime, help make a difference in someone's life:

The 15-Minute Rule:

If you want to make a difference in your closet and don’t have a lot of time, set a time limit and “go shopping” for things that are ready to be donated.  But keep your focus on this specific task and don’t allow yourself to be distracted.  It helps if you can carefully choose a friend to help you clean out your clothes closet.  You’ll want a person who will constructively criticize your taste, but with a sense of humor to make it fun.

Suits That Are No Longer Suit-able:

Nostalgia’s tug is strong— but use this opportunity to clear out the larger key pieces such as men’s suits, ties, dark belts and dress shoes.  For women, perhaps you have a dress-for-success ensemble that isn’t suitable for your current work environment—why not donate it along with some sensible low-pumps and simple jewelry?  Never donate another person’s clothes, always check with them.

Stop Tripping Down Memory Lane:

3.)  Remember, avoid keeping items in your closet as a benchmark of your achievements.  Professional Clothes Drive for the Clare Foundation honors needy individuals with basic essentials and you’ll want to donate good, clean, gently-used or new clothing.  You’ll feel better knowing your unwanted clothes will benefit others!

If you're putting together a professional clothes drive, feel free to use the tips above, just give us credit. O rcontact us if you'd like to explore something more.

What ideas have you implemented for your clothes donations?  Please share them below.

Image above courtesy J Crew and Uncrate.

Related Posts:

Reinvent yourself with Closet Therapy's Barbra Horowitz (9/05)

What do I do with 1990's business suits? (2/07)

Build a connection with a charity (3/06)

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"Jon & Kate Plus 8" Finally Hire a Professional Organizer

We're very excited to tune into the fireworks on Monday night when TCL's Jon & Kate Plus Eight features a visit from a real-live professional organizer. Keep? Toss? Donate? No? Maybe? Yes!

It's no secret that Kate Gosselin is considered an organizing expert herself. Even putting aside all the recent personal dramas, she enjoys 8 children, a large home and a busy life. According to Kate, "Maintaining a high level of organization helps any person or household-- supersized or otherwise -- run efficiently." We couldn't agree more.

Diane Albright Got The Job:

Our colleague, Diane Albright (pictured bottom left), a professional organizer, motivational speaker and retail store owner of All Bright Ideas (organizing website, blog, store website) hails from Allentown, PA, an hours drive from the family's rural Pennsylvania home in Wernersville. Diane is the lucky gal who got to experience a glimpse of Kate's organizing prowess, up close and personal. We'll be there watching and cheering everyone on.

Here's the quick synopsis from the TLC official website. The episode premieres Monday night October 5, 9:00pm. Check local listings for exact time.

Jon & Kate Plus 8: Time to Organize!

"Kate has always had a love for organization, but with such a full schedule and a house full of kids, she's had less and less time to organize. With the guidance of an expert, Kate and the children attempt to give the basement some much needed order."

Now to really put a spin on this story and prove 6-degrees of separation, Kate Gosselin contributed the "Tackle Your To-Do List" chapter alongside ours in creator Samantha Ettus' The Experts Guide To Doing Things Faster: 100 Ways To Make Life More Efficient (pictured left) which was published last October by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc. We have never met Kate but we sure have a lot of respect for her ability to keep up a house with eight children.

Weigh-In With Your Comments:

So all this leads us to ask our readers to weigh in on this question: Can organized people hire a professional organizer to help them? Are organizers only reserved for the messy, disorganized, cluttered, and hoarding? Or, are they a valuable resource for anyone in need, even with a small project?  Let's hear what you have to say. We're going to see if Diane can weigh in on this subject herself. Check out the comment section below.

Read more:

Kate Gosselin's organization tips - TLC website

The Gosselin 10 - Family website

Diane Abright's Blog and Website

All Bright Things - Diane's retail products store

Related Posts:

Experts Guide To Doing Things Faster - Amazon

Experts Guide Contributors

Colin Cowie loves an organized kitchen

Mary Louise Starkey is the first lady of private service

New York Magazine article featuring Experts Guide contributing author John Trosko

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Private Service Organizes as the IAPSP in Southern California

Last year during a trip to the "Main Line" area of suburban Philadelphia, we picked up a copy Arthur Inch's Dinner is Served: An English Butler's Guide to the Art of the Table. Little did we know it would change our life.

A 50-year veteran English butler who served as technical adviser for the film Gosford Park, Inch (alongside co-author Arlene Hirst) writes a loving and formal view of the history and traditions of fine English homes, along with explanations of fine linens, silver, table top design for formal dinner parties and etiquette for serving and dining. While the book's view may not fit precisely into our "modern day California laid-back atmosphere in a recession" current mentality, Inch's book really got us thinking about the world of private service.

International Association for Private Service Professionals:

Shortly thereafter, we were introduced to the International Association for Private Service Professionals (IAPSP) late last year. The IAPSP is a national trade association based in Los Angeles that provides a platform for developing professionalism and leadership skills in the delivery of estate service. The IAPSP draws on the experience and wisdom of its membership to define and preserve the traditional core values and ethics of service excellence, while acknowledging the importance of distinctive skill-sets and embracing new trends in service technology. The IAPSP is filling a gap where little, if any, organized vocational support has previously existed.

David M. Bertnick, IAPSP President, alongside John (left) on the "red carpet" the 2009 Los Angeles Organizing Awards last January.

Organizing and private service are a perfect match. Much of what Estate Managers, Property Managers, Butlers, Personal Assistants, Enlisted Aides, Household Managers, Ranch Managers, Estate Management Couples and other executive-level household staff do on a daily basis is systematize a property to ensure comfort, elegance and time savings. As an Associate Business member of the IAPSP, we've been able to participate in monthly networking and educational events and were honored when David Bertnick, President of the IAPSP accepted our invitation to present the 2009 Los Angeles Organizing Awards in January (see picture above).

IAPSP Inaugural Conference, Dallas, Texas, October 9-11, 2009:

We are particularly excited that IAPSP is holding their inaugural conference in Dallas, October 9-11 at the Fairmont (we'll be there!) The IAPSP’s first annual leadership, educational, and networking conference is designed to promote strength of character, superior management skills and service expertise, some of the essential elements for effective service delivery in the homes of high net worth employers.

We applaud Mr. Bertnick, the volunteers, members and associated businesses who are building such a progressive organization right here in Southern California that will serve not only our area, but the rest of the nation too. If you're attending the conference, I’ll see you in Dallas!

Read More:

The IAPSP Announces its Inaugural Leadership Conference for the Private Service Industry (PRWeb)

Two weeks To Go For IAPSP Conference (PRWeb)

IAPSP (official website)

IAPSP (on Twitter)

The Changing World of the Private Service Industry (Luxist)

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Traditional Home's 20th Anniversary at Pacific Design Center

My colleague Laurie March and I just returned from an amazing day at the Pacific Design Center's Fall Preview.

Sponsored by Traditional Home Magazine, the day featured over 40 design showroom programs, open houses and industry receptions with new and innovative products, style, colors and ideas not only for Los Angeles but for the rest of the country. We met some amazing interior designers like Tobi Fairly Tobi Fairley, Shane Reilly, Madeline Stuart as well as Candace Ord Manroe, Senior Design Editor for Traditional Home and author of Uncluttered: Storage Room by Room, Storage Made Easy and numerous others.

Luxury Organizing for Skyscrapers

 

Los Angeles may not be the king of the skyscrapers, but we have a fair share.

In our expert opinion, organizing a high-rise residence is different than organizing a house on flat ground.  You must focus on the view, not the stuff.  Many people move from a flat ground residence and realize how much they need to get rid of before they can live in tighter quarters, way high.

In an interview we did a while ago for Estate's West Magazine on downsizing from an estate-size property to a high-rise, we had to explore our fair share of working up, how to sort through life's memories and negotiate what needs to stay, and what needs to go.

It's all about the view.

Here are some of the questions and answers from that interview.

What are some important tips that homeowners should keep in mind when downsizing their belongings from a large estate to a smaller high-rise living area?

In a high-rise space there is no room for mediocrity!  The City of Los Angeles has its share of high-style, high-rise buildings:  Wilshire Corridor, Century City, Marina del Rey, the exclusive Sierra Towers and the burgeoning new Downtown.  High-rise living has definitely come into vogue and so has space and storage planning.

If the trend is to move up, what do people gain, and lose, in their space?

Why does Hollywood’s A-list give up their homes for a “room with a view?”  They have little to take care of and amenities are within arm’s reach.  Just lock the door and leave.  But the price can be big, even for a small space— dwellers must significantly leave memories and larger furniture behind in favor of straightforward simplicity.  It may surprise some, but the high-rise homes we’ve organized seem very casual, but they are indeed carefully considered.  Everything kept serves an important capacity.

Is there a past, present and future for space planning in high-rise living?

The American home may typically be getting larger, but today’s high-rise spaces still remain relatively small.  For the past 3 decades, the theory on space planning included heavy, uptight cabinetry, bookshelves and storage from floor to ceiling, wall to wall, all jutted up against the windows where you’re “supposed” to enjoy the glorious views.  The renaissance of mid-century style has changed all that.  Now, storage in a high-rise space needs to be gently built around the view, with creature comforts hidden from sight, still within easy reach.

In our next post, we'll feature some tips for downsizing a large home (or estate) for easy high-rise living.  Stay tuned. In the meantime, no matter where you live, we'd love to hear your thoughts on organizing for a view.

Read More:

• OrganizingLA featured in Estates West Magazine - blog post
• PDF version of article in our press kit

Related Posts:

• Lindsay Lohan avoids getting organized (9/06)
  

image of Sierra Towers West Hollywood courtesy Bryan Chan, LA Times and Russ Filice, The Filice Group

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