The Season of Giving

Christmas Ornaments

As we decorate Christmas trees for clients, Gretchen and I inspect and cull ornaments as we go. What to do with the leftovers: 

• Broken ornaments can be re-purposed to decorate an outdoor wreath. 
• Ornaments that do not make it onto the tree can be shared with family members. Just purchase an ornament box and fill it with your extras to pass along to a child or grandchild.
• Wrap special keepsake ornaments and give to your family members as gifts. 
• Do not store unused ornaments. If you are tempted to store something, consider these choices: Use it. Honor it by displaying it. Give it away to a local donation center and give someone a job.  

Enjoy the season of giving!

~Amy 

Yes, you can!

Wish you could snap your fingers and have your master bathroom and closet neat and clean? 


Gretchen and I can help you knock that project out in just a few hours. 

-Amy 

Love this container!

I love this container, let me count the ways:

1. I dislike earring trees
2. The container is clear
3. The container fits in my bathroom drawer
4. It is small and portable
5. The little compartments are rectangle allowing for my large fingers and dangly pairs too. 

~Amy 

Collecting something?

Shark teeth? Shells? Rocks? Coral? What do you collect?

Collection tips:

• Always store/display like with like. 
• Honor your collection and display it! 
• If you store it, choose a clear container so you can see your goods. 
• Limit yourself and remember less is more. Shop your collection for your favorites to keep and donate or gift the less favorite pieces. 

~Amy 

Share a bathroom?

Lack counter space? 
Tired of clutter on your sink? 

Purchase a bin to contain those items you use every morning. Pull out the bin, use the items and then put them away. This is especially helpful if you share a bathroom. My kiddos have different colored bins. I purchased the kind that are stack-able. I ALWAYS lean towards stack-able options! ~Amy 

Store your guns

I read about an unfortunate accident in O Magazine about a toddler gun accident. Click here to read the whole story: 
billingsgazette.com/news

As mothers, Gretchen and I are thrilled when we see a client with a gun safe. 

Recently a client, an avid sportsman and father, advised that he was the only person that new the code to their safe. 

Keep your children and their friends safe! Store them appropriately. 

Thanks!
Amy 

Sunscreen & Bug Spray

Keep a small basket with sunscreen and bug spray in the mud room or by the most frequently used door in your home.  This reminds everyone in the family to apply before yard work, exercise, or playing outside this summer.
~Gretchen

De-clutter Your Mind

~Amy 

Sunscreen Expires

Check the expiration date on your sunscreen to prevent a wicked sunburn.  Be sure to throw away the old stuff so no one gets accidentally fried this summer! 
~Gretchen

Craving Order?

Wish everything in your life would line up like your silverware drawer?

Uses these principles in other areas:

1. Like with like. 

2. Assign a space for each item. 

3. Set a limit. 

4. Put it away.

Aaaaah! 

~Amy 

Playroom Tips

Playrooms can be multi-purpose. 

What makes this one successful:

1. Like with like.
2.Everything has a space.
3. Set good boundaries for where items are contained.
4. Plenty of room to play in the floor on on a table.

~ Gretchen

How much are you paying for storage?

What if you could park in your garage and avoid that hailstorm? 

What if you were organized and knew how many items you had so you avoided making unnecessary purchases? 

Our #1 storage tip: clear bins. 

We can help you organize so you can utilize more space for LIVING! 

~Amy 

Clutter or Disorganized?

How many appliances are on your counter that you do NOT use? 

Consider storing them under the counter or in your pantry.

Think about this:

1. How many times a week do I access this?

2. How many times a year will I access this? 

3. Have I EVER used this? 

4. Should I give it to someone I know?

5. Should I give it to Goodwill and give someone a job? 

~Amy 

Family growing?

Many of our clients store children's items long after they've left the nest. We can help you make room for your growing family. Or, help you find space to store items until they return to pick them up.

~Amy 

Are you Organized?

Are you in the 83%? 
We can help! 
~ Amy 

Space Claimers - Your Best Kept Secret!

Thanks MTSU Students for helping us with this!

http://youtu.be/ugADHqJ83sE Space Claimers - Your Best Kept Secret! by Amy Jaramillo

Reclaim Space in Your Home! ▫ Closet Makeovers ▫ Garage/Attic/ Basement Clean out ▫ Repurposing and Organization ▫ Storage Solutions ▫ Space & time saving suggestions ▫ Removal: Consignment, Charity, Recycle, wherever it needs to go!

Cardboard Boxes - Save or Recycle?

Gretchen and I find that many of our clients store boxes. Unless you are moving, this can quickly become a problem an you may fill your garage and attic with unnecessary trash.

Photo by Akira Ohgaki

In order to maintain a good flow of items through your home, usually it is best to recycle boxes.

If you are an on-line shopper, many boxes enter your home. Do not delay and set these empty boxes aside. Make a decision to recycle or store right away!

Try these tips:

1. If you have an account and re-sell items on Ebay, craigslist, etc., choose a location in your home to temporarily store items to sell with packaging to mail these items. In this area, create a space for bubble wrap, peanuts, and boxes. Make another space for boxes/packaging and lastly a space for item storage. Once this area is full, recycle all packaging. The idea is to keep within a boundary!

2. Recycle all shoe boxes with lids that are attached. If you ever want/need a shoe box, you will probably prefer a box with a removable lid.

3. Recycle all large boxes that typically are associated with large children's toys.

4. Keep super small packaging for expensive electronics. These are easy to store and you will get a better return if you have original packaging.

~Amy

Too Many Wire Hangers

Recycle them!

Not enough room for your hanging clothes? I hope you keep a bag for your dry cleaning nearby.

Recycle those wire hangers!

Simply place them in your dry cleaning bag and return them when you take your cleaning.

Keep this system going and you will reclaim some space in your closet. ~Amy

Old Computers Pile Up to Create E-waste

Recycle old electronics, don't trash them

Link To Murfreesboro Post

By: JOHN MICHAELSON, TNNS
Posted: Friday, December 28, 2012 9:58 am
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NASHVILLE - "Out with the old, in with the new"' takes on a whole new meaning when the topic is electronic gear.

Laptops, televisions and cell phones should never be dumped in the garbage, says Gregg Bjork, senior vice president of Minnesota-based Materials Processing Corp., because toxins can leach into the soil and water. Another major concern, he says, is data.



"Everything from a laptop to a copy machine is storing confidential information on it, and anybody who gets their hands on it might be able to extract everything from credit-card numbers to any kinds of confidential documentation that might be on that device."


MPC is among recyclers in about 30 states so far that are "e-Steward" certified, meaning people can be sure their cast-off electronics are recycled safely.


The "e-Stewards" certification is a program of the toxic waste watchdog group Basel Action Network. BAN's enterprise director, Mike Enberg, who heads the "e-Stewards" program, says the oversight is necessary for what has become an international environmental nightmare.


"E-waste is the quickest-growing portion of the waste stream and has been for a number of years - 142,000 computers and over 416,000 mobile devices are trashed or recycled every day."Too often, Enberg says, electronics aren't broken down by recyclers for their usable components, and hazardous waste isn't safely disposed of. It may even be shipped overseas to become another country's problem.


Find free "e-Stewards" drop-off sites at e-Stewards.org. More information on BAN is online at ban.org.